Chairman

Sajeevan (Saj) Eswarakumar

“Leave everything a little bit better than you found it.”

Sajeevan Eswarakumar, more commonly known as Saj, is the chairman and founder of Life After Stroke. Saj originally started Life After Stroke as a personal blog to share his road to recovery after surviving a stroke in 2012. What emerged from this experience was a deep passion for serving the stroke community and helping other survivors like himself share their own stories. 

On top of building a community for Young Brain Injury Survivors (YBIS), Saj has established a career working in the railroad industry since 2009. Currently, he is a Workblock Planning Officer for Metrolinx, while also serving as a patient partner with the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada. Not afraid to rock a fresh pair of sneakers or “shred the gnar” with his snowboard, Saj is also a self-proclaimed proud Canadian explorer who has filled his life full of food, coffee and photography.

Vice Chairman

Dr. Prasaanthan (Prasa) Gopee-Ramanan

“Change of work is rest.”

Dr. Prasaanthan (Prasa) Gopee-Ramanan is a diagnostic radiologist. He has completed his medical education and residency training at McMaster University and is undertaking subspecialty training at the University of Toronto. Prasa has a passion for translating his skills from clinical settings to advocacy and social engagement. Having known the LAS Chair, Sajeevan, for decades, Prasa was personally inspired by Sajeevan’s ability to overcome a mountain of challenges in his life. Through the work done by LAS, Prasa hopes to contribute in a meaningful way to improving supports for YBIS.

Secretary

Jeevitha (Gina) Srighanthan

Jeevitha (Gina) Srighanthan completed her Masters degree in Epidemiology at Queens University. She is currently working as a Research Associate at the Toronto General Hospital and has 10 years of experience in clinical research. She has various publications related to mental health, osteoporosis, and health equity, including in JAMA. The success of YBIS is close to her heart as she is Sajeevan’s cousin and had the chance to see his amazing journey to recovery. She helped with Sajeevan’s blog development in its infancy and is looking forward to continuing to be part of this important initiative on a larger scale.

Treasurer

James Pyo

James is an urban planner with a Master of Environmental Studies (MES) from York University. He has always enjoyed riding his bike, playing guitar, and walking his beloved dog Digsy. He joined the stroke survivor community after a slo-pitch accident unexpectedly led to a brain bleed with stroke-like symptoms. Yet, he has chosen to continue pushing forward in his life by getting married and planning to start a family with his wife, Jessica. He also serves on the TTC Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT).

Public Relations

Athanasious (Tom) Nous

Athanasious Nous, also known as Tom, is a trained paramedic who has dealt with and advocated for those affected by stroke and acquired brain injuries (AIBI) in a professional capacity. It is through Tom’s work and relationship with chairman & founder Saj—who he has known since first moving to Canada—that the experiences and issues of young stroke survivors hit close to home. All of this has led Tom to managing PR for Life After Stroke, where he is looking forward to working with a humbling team of talent and bringing about positive change for those struggling with the aftermath of the crippling issues of stroke/AIBI. 

Outside of his professional life, Tom is a martial arts enthusiast and dog lover who appreciates a freshly brewed cup of coffee to start his day and always seeks an exciting adventure in the backcountry.