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The Blind Side star Quinton Aaron is now awake following his recent spinal stroke
The actor exclusively tells PEOPLE that he's now "focusing" on his recovery
He's been able to speak and text with his relatives and close friends, his family tells PEOPLE
The Blind SidestarQuinton Aaronremains hospitalized, but is now awake.
In January, the 41-year-old actor suffered aspinal stroke. In the weeks following, he remained in the hospital "in very serious condition," a source close to the Aaron family exclusively told PEOPLE.
Quinton issued an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, saying, "I went through a lot, but I'm focusing on God, my recovery, my family and close friends as well as my career."
His family tells PEOPLE that he's currently "feeling strong and empowered."
The actor is able to speak with his relatives and FaceTime and text regularly now with his closest inner circle of friends. "He's excited about the future opportunities life will present to him," the family says.
His family also shared a photo of him and his brother, Jarred. The family says the two brothers have grown even closer following Quinton's stroke.
The Aaron family also said in a statement that Quinton is "awake, fully alert, interacting with his family and approved visitors."
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The actor has "feeling in his legs," his family adds. With his recovery underway, he is "focused on his recovery and successfully doing things like practicing writing, doing puzzles."
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The recent updates come after a source told PEOPLE that doctors were "conducting tests to keep him stable."
Spinal strokes occur when something, such as blood clots or hemorrhages, stops blood flow in a person's spinal cord, according to theCleveland Clinic. The condition is very rare, comprising less than 1% of all strokes, and "can still be fatal or cause permanent disabilities."
The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025,TMZpreviously reported.
Aaron said at the time that medics believed he was dealing with Type A flu, as well as pneumonia. He also suffered a severe upper respiratory infection back in 2019, according to the outlet.
Read the original article onPeople