Fort Worth woman who survived stroke, 2 heart attacks continues road to recovery
FORT WORTH, Texas - A Fort Worth mother is counting her blessings this new year after suffering a stroke and two heart attacks. She's had to learn to walk and talk again, but she's making great strides in her recovery.
Tiffany Rubenkoenig was in an Uber on her way to a concert in Arlington when her husband noticed something was wrong. They rushed to the hospital where doctors quickly determined she was having a stroke.
Thankfully, Rubenkoenig survived, but it’s been a long road to recovery for the young wife and mother.
Walking her dog, Piper, is an everyday task the 42-year-old does not take for granted.
In July of 2022, Rubenkoenig nearly died from a stroke on the way to a Garth Brooks concert. Her husband was along for the terrifying Uber ride.
"I think me getting hot, my eyes rolling back in my head. He definitely knew something was wrong," she recalled. "We need to get her to the hospital immediately."
The couple rushed to Texas Health Arlington Memorial where a CT scan was done, and within 20 minutes, she was given medication that broke up a clot in her brain.
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Then, Rubenkoenig suffered two heart attacks.
"There wasn't really a thought that I would make it and come out of that state," she said.
Once stabilized, Rubenkoenig was airlifted to Texas Health Fort Worth, the only advanced comprehensive stroke center in Tarrant County, where Dr. Matthew Fiesta, an interventional neuroradiologist, was waiting for her.
"She had an injured vessel in her neck," he explained. "All the vertebral are in the left side, and that injured vessel got narrower and then nearly led to clot formation, which then went up to block the brainstem artery."
Rubenkoenig spent five days in the ICU. She now takes medication to help eliminate future blockages. Her road to recovery has been long and tough.
"I lost all function that I was capable of prior to the stroke," she said.
Rubenkoenig spent months in rehab learning to walk and do things like drive a car again. She's now working with an occupational therapist at Texas Health Fort Worth for her vision. She is also doing speech therapy with a speech-language pathologist.
"Speaking is obviously still a bit of an issue," she admitted.
Still, the wife and mother of three is counting her blessings.
Part of Rubenkoenig’s healing journey included starting a blog and a nonprofit called Sprinkling Love, helping others with similar injuries get the support they need.
And as far as finally getting to see Garth Brooks in concert, she's putting out those positive vibes in the new year.
"Great question. We'll see," she said.
Both Rubenkoenig and Dr. Fiesta say it’s important to listen to your body and get help when you need it.