Myrtle Beach pastor shares inspiring words of thanks to Tidelands Health care team for his recovery after stroke

Reverend Benjy Simmons walking through church

“Keep on making a difference one person at a time.”

That’s how the Rev. Benjy Simmons ended each of the handwritten, heartfelt thank-you notes he sent to his care team at Tidelands Health. For him, those words weren’t just an expression of gratitude, they were a testament to how far he had come in his recovery.

“It takes a lot of effort to write a note, but one of the reasons I wrote the notes to them was to show my gratefulness of what they had done for me, and to show them that I could write,” Simmons said.

The founding pastor of Gathering Community Church, Simmons has spent years sharing the word of God with the Myrtle Beach community. But one Friday morning changed everything. When he woke up, he couldn’t stand. His speech was slurred.

Simmons writing a letter

He was having a stroke.

Strokes can happen to anyone. They occur when a blockage in the brain’s blood vessels reduces blood flow to the brain, or blood vessels rupture, leading to brain cell damage.

Symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body, face drooping, difficulty speaking, trouble seeing, dizziness, loss of balance and a sudden severe headache.

“I had the stroke on a Friday,” he said. “I don’t remember anything from Friday or Saturday. And then Sunday afternoon, third day, I rose again.”

The stroke wouldn’t silence his voice

After being discharged from the hospital, Simmons began therapy at Tidelands Health Rehabilitation Services at The Market Common. For weeks, he worked with speech, physical and occupational therapists to regain his independence.

Simmons in physical therapy

The stroke left him with expressive aphasia, a condition that affects the ability to speak and process language. For someone whose life revolved around words - sermons, prayers and conversations - this was devastating.

“I was always very independent,” Simmons said. “It almost seemed that I had to submit. And looking back, that humility was something I needed.”

He also struggled with walking and balance. His main goal was getting back to work, standing in the pulpit and preaching to his congregation.

“He came here and committed to the work,” said Amy Matheny, physical therapist assistant at Tidelands Health. “He also did the work at home, which made his recovery much more successful.”

Reaching milestones

One of Simmons’ biggest hurdles was dizziness. Preaching requires standing for long periods, moving between notes and the Bible, and looking at the congregation. And all these movements triggered his symptoms.

“The first milestone was when my therapist took my cane away, and I walked the perimeter of the room” Simmons said. “It was almost as if I could, I would’ve jumped for joy.”

Today, Simmons is grateful for the team that helped him reclaim his independence.

“They helped me get my life back,” he said. “I felt as if a piece of it had left me with the stroke, and they helped me regain it.”