TUCSON, Ariz. – Renowned linguist, activist, and social critic Noam Chomsky is currently recovering from a massive stroke he suffered a year ago, in a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chomsky’s wife, Valeria Chomsky, confirmed his hospitalization on Tuesday, revealing that he is facing challenges with speaking and has experienced paralysis on the right side of his body.
Following the stroke in June 2023, Chomsky was transported to Brazil on an ambulance jet with the assistance of two nurses, due to improved conditions that allowed for travel from the United States. The couple has maintained a residence in Sao Paulo since 2015.
His wife disclosed that Chomsky, at 95 years old, is under the care of a neurologist, speech therapist, and lung specialist at the Sao Paulo hospital. Despite his condition, Chomsky remains engaged with current events and shows emotional responses to news, notably raising his left arm in lament and anger when exposed to images of the conflict in Gaza.
Noam Chomsky is widely recognized as a figure of protest and dissent globally, consistently challenging U.S. policies in regions such as the Middle East and Central America, as well as critiquing what he views as a compliant media landscape. His influential activism and critical work have sparked discussion and contemplation among millions of individuals worldwide.
A former faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Chomsky later transitioned to the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he currently holds the esteemed position of Laureate Professor of Linguistics and the Agnese Helms Haury Chair within the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Chomsky’s groundbreaking 1957 publication, “Syntactic Structures,” revolutionized the field of linguistics by proposing that humans possess an innate language capacity from birth, enabling them to formulate and comprehend sentences that they have never encountered before. This foundational work has had a lasting impact on the study of language and cognition.
In light of Chomsky’s health challenges, Valeria Chomsky mentioned in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo her consideration of relocating to a sunnier location near the beach in Rio de Janeiro, as studies suggest that the climate could benefit stroke patients. The family continues to monitor Chomsky’s progress and remains grateful for the outpouring of support from well-wishers around the world.