{"id":242507,"date":"2025-09-20T22:55:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T22:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/242507\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T22:55:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T22:55:20","slug":"billy-bob-thornton-thanks-tirr-memorial-hermann-therapists-for-helping-friend-recovering-from-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/242507\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Bob Thornton thanks TIRR Memorial Hermann therapists for helping friend recovering from stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Anyone who knows someone who has suffered a stroke <\/a>understands the struggle \u2014 the sudden loss of independence, the uphill climb to regain even the smallest movements.<\/p>\n

For J.P. Shellnut, a Houston-based actor and one of Billy Bob Thornton\u2019s closest friends, that climb has turned into a comeback story.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/b> Texas could learn a lot from Billy Bob Thornton. Here\u2019s what I learned<\/a><\/p>\n

Five years ago, a stroke left Shellnut paralyzed on his left side. Everyday tasks \u2014 gripping a spoon, walking steadily, bathing without help \u2014 felt impossible. But six months ago, he underwent a breakthrough procedure at Memorial Hermann TIRR that changed his trajectory.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> Know the warning signs of a stroke and how you can help reduce your risk<\/a><\/p>\n

Thornton, who has shared the screen with Shellnut in several films, sent a heartfelt video message thanking Shellnut\u2019s care team at TIRR Kirby Glen for their dedication.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for taking care of my pal, J.P. Shellnut,\u201d Thornton said.<\/p>\n

J.P. Shellnut has shared the screen with his longtime friend and iconic actor, Billy Bob Thornton (Photo courtesy of TIRR Memorial Hermann) (Copyright 2025 by TIRR Memorial Hermann – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Doctors implanted the Vivistim System, a device placed in his neck that stimulates the vagus nerve to help the brain form new neural pathways. When paired with rehabilitation, the device helps stroke survivors regain lost motor function.<\/p>\n

J.P. Shellnut recovers with physical therapist exercises after suffering a stroke five years ago (Photo courtesy of TIRR Memorial Hermann) (Copyright 2025 by TIRR Memorial Hermann – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

According to Memorial Hermann, \u201cstroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S.\u201d Survivors often face lingering paralysis or difficulty speaking, even years after the initial medical emergency.<\/p>\n

For Shellnut, the Vivistim device has meant tangible progress. Since the surgery, he has been able to walk on a treadmill, cook breakfast, and even bathe himself for the first time in years.<\/p>\n

J.P. Shellnut recovers with physical therapist exercises after suffering a stroke five years ago (Photo courtesy of TIRR Memorial Hermann) (Copyright 2025 by TIRR Memorial Hermann – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

He continues therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann Kirby Glen while using Vivistim at home. Each milestone, he says, brings him closer to his goal of returning to acting.<\/p>\n

J.P. Shellnut has shared the screen with his longtime friend and iconic actor, Billy Bob Thornton (Photo courtesy of TIRR Memorial Hermann) (Copyright 2025 by TIRR Memorial Hermann – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

For now, Shellnut is celebrating each small victory, hopeful that his return to independence could also one day lead to a return to the big screen.<\/p>\n

Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n

Before you “PRESS START” to your day, get ahead of the game with our morning newsletter.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Anyone who knows someone who has suffered a stroke understands the struggle \u2014 the sudden loss…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":242508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[12046,718,171,3095,210,14194,4345,11782,35155,129361,158,358,80277,129359,3187,129360],"class_list":{"0":"post-242507","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-billy-bob-thornton","9":"tag-community","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-features","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-heartwarming-stories","14":"tag-houston","15":"tag-memorial-hermann","16":"tag-stroke","17":"tag-stroke-patients","18":"tag-technology","19":"tag-texas","20":"tag-texas-medical-center","21":"tag-tirr-memorial-hermann","22":"tag-tx","23":"tag-vivistim"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115239093941408289","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}