When fifty-year old Zoe woke up in the middle of the night, unable to move the right side of her body, she had no idea that she was having a stroke. Immediately after her stroke, Zoe’s speech had gone completely. She did not know it at the time, but the bleed on her brain had left her with aphasia – a complex communication disorder that impacts speech, reading, writing, and the understanding of language.
Zoe knew what she wanted to say, and thought she was saying it correctly, but to the others around her it did not make sense. Zoe found this incredibly confusing and frustrating. Zoe was referred to Aphasia Support, to provide extra support with communication needs, and she attended the charity’s App Club in Wakefield, where she was assessed by a speech and language therapist and matched with a speech and language therapy student from Leeds Beckett University. Slowly but surely Zoe’s speech improved to the point where she can now be understood by her friends and family, and she is constantly improving thanks to her dedication and stoicism.
Zoe now regularly attends Aphasia Support’s café in Halifax, where she receives ongoing speech and language therapy and socialises with other people living with similar challenges.
To find out how Aphasia Support can support you, get in touch today Make a Referral - Aphasia Support UK.