Everything seemed to be going so well for Nia Kelley in 2014. She had a challenging IT career that she loved, and she was excelling in it. She’d recently moved from Austin to Plano, TX, near Dallas, and she was enjoying being close to a big city. She was living with her boyfriend, Jasen, who was loving and supportive. And even with her demanding career, the former college fitness instructor found time to workout and maintain her health.

It was then that something completely unexpected changed her world. At just 36, Nia suffered a stroke that would damage about a third of her brain, making basic tasks like speech and reading difficult.

The road to recovery was long. But on that journey, Nia discovered new sources of creativity, and hard-won lessons about ambition and just what she is truly capable of.