Back to More of Me: Aly's Journey of Recovery and Resilience  

A Life Dedicated to Caring for Others

Aly Bobulsky always knew she wanted to work in healthcare. She loved helping people, and chemistry was her favorite subject in high school.

After earning a degree in biomedical sciences from Marquette University in 2010, Aly moved to California. She spent a year teaching health education to high school students through a national service program. During that time, she met several nurse practitioners whose work inspired her career path.

Aly returned to Ohio and earned her nursing degree from Ursuline College in 2014. She began working as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in Cleveland, where she met fellow nurse Greg Cortese. The two later married in 2018.

An Unexpected Health Challenge

A few months before their wedding, Aly started having episodes of dizziness. An MRI revealed a noncancerous tumor about the size of a golf ball pressing on a nerve near her brain stem.

To help protect her facial movement, surgeons removed part of the tumor. For a time, she was able to move forward with life, welcoming her son in 2021 and her daughter in 2023. But after her children were born, the tumor began growing again. Doctors treated it with targeted radiation therapy.

A few years later, Aly noticed one side of her face beginning to droop. Greg took her to a local emergency room, where doctors discovered that the remaining tumor had started bleeding, causing swelling in her brain.

Although medication helped reduce the swelling, the facial weakness remained.
Then, during surgery in March 2025 to remove the tumor, Aly experienced a hemorrhagic stroke in her brain stem. The stroke affected the right side of her body and made it difficult for her to speak.

Rebuilding After Stroke

After spending three weeks in the ICU, Aly came to the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute for inpatient rehabilitation.

At that point, she was unable to get out of bed on her own. She used a feeding tube and a wheelchair and needed help with everyday activities. Aly chose MetroHealth because of its strong reputation for rehabilitation care.

MetroHealth was already familiar to her. In 2022, she had joined the Cancer Center team as a gynecologic oncology nurse practitioner. But this was her first time being a patient.

For several weeks, Aly worked with occupational therapist Liz Arlia, physical therapist Jen Nagy and speech-language pathologist Larisa Roth. Just as she was making progress, a leak of fluid around her brain and spinal cord sent her back to the hospital.

After treatment, she returned to rehabilitation. Soon afterward, severe headaches led to another hospital stay. Doctors eventually placed a shunt to help drain excess fluid from her brain.

Once she returned to rehab, Aly focused on rebuilding strength and movement on the right side of her body.

“She consistently came to every occupational therapy session with determination and a willingness to work hard, even on her most difficult days,” Liz said.

By the time Aly completed inpatient rehabilitation in July 2025, she was eating regular foods again and speaking more clearly. After a short break at home, she began outpatient therapy at MetroHealth with occupational therapist Lexi Emerick and physical therapist Nick Pederzolli.

Later that year, Aly underwent surgery to help improve movement in her foot and ankle. The procedure allowed her to place her right heel on the floor again, helping her continue to make progress in physical therapy.

By March 2026, Aly had regained the ability to manage daily activities such as dressing and bathing on her own. Although she still experienced weakness and muscle tightness in her right arm and hand, she had become much more independent.

In May, Aly began using a therapy device called Synchrony at home. The wearable device uses gentle electrical stimulation to help retrain the connection between the brain and hand.

For one hour each day, Aly used the device while completing exercises recommended by her therapy team.

The device even traveled with her and her family to France during a 12-day trip in June.

When her three-month trial period ended, Aly was eager to continue.

“The improvement has been gradual,” she said. “What I think Synchrony does best is help reconnect my brain and my right hand. I couldn't do that for more than a year.”

Celebrating Progress and Looking Ahead

Today, Aly continues weekly physical therapy with Nick, focusing on balance and walking more independently.

“He's been with me through it all,” Aly said. “We've worked together to find ways to make me more independent. He pushes me to work hard.”

In addition to therapy, Aly continues to explore treatments that may improve her recovery. She recently had surgery on her right arm to improve hand positioning and receives regular treatments to help manage muscle tightness.

“She has always remained positive and proactive in her care, seeking out opportunities on her own,” Lexi said.

There are still challenges, but when Aly looks back, she sees just how far she has come.

“Last summer I was in a wheelchair,” she said. “This summer I was back to being more like myself. I was cooking meals again for my family, which I love to do, and marching my 5-year-old up to his room for time-outs. All thanks to Metro Rehab and hard work.”

Today, Aly is looking forward to a family trip to Florida and hopes to one day return to caring for cancer patients at MetroHealth.