CLEVELAND With aid of rare surgery, teen recovers from stroke

The boy also maintained a 4.0 grade-point average.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- With the help of an unusual surgical procedure, a teenage boy has recovered from a paralyzing stroke to return to the tennis courts.
Doctors at Rainbow Babies & amp; Children's Hospital in Cleveland say the operation is rare even for adults, and success is even more rare.
Kevin Mosley, 15, of this southwest Cleveland suburb, went into surgery last November, not long after his parents, Terri and Wayne Mosley, noticed that he was talking with only one side of his mouth.
His pediatrician at first suspected Bell's palsy, a temporary facial paralysis.
An MRI scan revealed something much worse. Dr. Warren Selman, a neurosurgeon, determined that a growing aneurysm had caused a stroke. Kevin needed a double bypass using sections of his own healthy blood vessels to provide a new route for blood flow to two areas of his brain. The intricate procedure was performed Nov. 6 and lasted more than 10 hours.
Second stroke
Brain scans determined he had suffered a second stroke during the operation.
But, with intensive daily physical therapy, he slowly regained the ability to walk and move around, using a cane and walker. Kevin said the recovery period was a frustrating time for him. He had been a standout freshman player on his school's varsity team.
The physical therapists knew that tennis motivated him, so they had him practice shoulder movements with a tennis racket.
In May, he added to an already successful high school record by winning the Pioneer Conference championship at No. 3 singles for Strongsville High School.
"Kevin is obviously a very driven person," Strongsville tennis coach Kevin Klein said. When training for the spring tennis season started, Klein said he was nervous about the high expectations Kevin had set for himself.
"He's the type of person who thrives on competition. I saw how hard he worked and I know that his determination is what really drives him," Klein said.
Winning the Pioneer Conference was a personal relief, Kevin said.
"I just wanted to perform well for everyone who helped me through this," he said.
Perfect grades
During Kevin's recovery, teachers tutored him at home. Despite recurring headaches, physical therapy and an isolated life at home, Kevin ended his sophomore year with a 4.0 grade-point average.
The community and their support really pulled him through, Terri Mosley said.
"There's no doubt that this success is a result of many people."