When I was a little boy, I dreamed of becoming a doctor like my father. That dream died – when I was ten years old. I had a massvie stroke. And diagnosed with global aphasia – no reading, writing, or talking. That was nearly twenty years ago. I went to speech therapy for nearly fifteen…
In October 2003, I was cleaning the gutters on my house, the ladder slipped, and down I went hitting my head on the driveways concrete slap. Spent the 1st month into a medically induced coma and craniotomy surgery from a traumatic brain injury. In the 2nd month after awaking for my coma, my family tells…
The best part of working with people with aphasia, is being able to help them reconnect with their loved ones. Many people with aphasia are abruptly cut off from their family and friends. Being able to help them find alternative ways to communicate things like, “I love you” to their family members is very rewarding.…
My name is Ed. I am 77 years old and have been married to my wife, Lucy, for 54 years. I am also a full-time caregiver for Lucy, and have been since she had her stroke in May 1998 – only one year after I retired. The morning Lucy had her stroke I was laid…
Almost two years ago, I came back from trip to Israel. I was unpacking and getting ready for a family get-together when I had a stroke. I spent two weeks in the hospital recovering. I could only say four or five words but the therapist didn’t say I had aphasia. It was later that we…
I had a stroke in late 2006 and was diagnosed with aphasia. My husband and I visited Moses Cone Rehab Clinic. After a few weeks of speech therapy, we were told to go home with a few written speech therapy exercises to practice but that was not enough for me so I started using a…
I am a social worker and equal rights advocate. I taught at Fordham University in New York City and founded organizations including a shelter for abused women and children, and a national advocacy group for minorities. In 2001, I needed open heart surgery. While recovering, I had a stroke which led to aphasia. I started…
I went to the University of Illinois and then got my master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania. I created my own computer company called NORCOM VARs Network, which I had for seven years. I have been married to my wife for 41 years. We have three children. I love to travel, scuba dive, ski…
My name is Vahan Dickran Khoyan and I am Armenian. I was born in Miami, Florida on January 10, 1944. I have been married for 35 years to my lovely wife, Linda. We have three sons and three grandchildren. I was a pilot for 44 years and the second youngest pilot with Eastern Airlines. I…
In April 2005, I was given a chance to go to England to become a Master’s level Social Worker for the British Council. I was so excited to have the opportunity to live in the town, Plymouth. However, Plymouth was cold and dreary. I was not happy in that area. So I did some research…