Working with stroke survivors

In 2005, I found myself working with several stroke survivors as a Speech Language Pathologist. One stroke survivor in particular would frequently ask the questions “Am I the only one with these problems?”, “why did this happen?”, and “how did this happen?”. After providing much education and counseling, I realized the best way to get this patient to truly understand what I was talking about would be by connecting him with other stroke survivors who have gone through the same situations and questions. In 2006, I initiated our stroke support group here at Sanford Vermillion. Our group strives to provide opportunities to stay educated about stroke recovery, rehabilitation and prevention of recurrent stroke and to meet other stroke survivors with similar challenges and experiences. It also provides an opportunity to celebrate successes and support strengths. I have witnessed many friendships and positive growth occur within this group and hope to impact every individual in a positive way.