Portugal 5/8/03

In Cabo da Roca, just outside Lisbon, I attended Novartis HR Week on May 8, 2003. The day began like any other—team exercises, conversations, shared ideas. Then everything changed.

During the team exercise using bicycles and walking, a Compensation VP from Basel suddenly collapsed. He had a stroke. The energy in the room shifted instantly from focus to fear. Within minutes, a helicopter arrived, cutting through the quiet coastal air, and rushed him to the hospital.

What started as a routine workday became a moment none of us would ever forget—a reminder of how quickly life can turn, even in the most ordinary settings.

Seventeen years later, I also had a stroke. I have aphasia, which is a language issue. When I took this photo, I never realized that I would remember him.