Press release -
Portsmouth stroke survivor adds her voice to Lost for Words campaign
Clanfield stroke survivor, Janice McDonald, 58, is one of the thousands of people living with communication difficulties after a stroke.
Janice had a stroke in 2005 whilst on holiday in Mexico. The stroke left Janice with weakness in the right side of her body and a communication difficulty called aphasia.
Carly Davey, Janice’s daughter, said: “Mum’s stroke was a huge shock to us all. She’s always been such a great communicator, so when the stroke left her unable to speak we were heart broken.
“I think the biggest barrier mum is faced with on a daily basis is people not understanding what aphasia is. Often people will think her intelligence is affected and will choose to talk over her or in some cases, not at all. Mum finds this really upsetting and wished more people understood the condition. This is what motivated mum and I to start a blog about her stroke and aphasia. It was a way for mum to show others that you can live a normal life, but that there are daily hurdles which quite often come down to lack of awareness from others.
“Mum’s determination to get better is simply incredible. She is now fully independent, drives, is a volunteer for the Stroke Association, and is the best granny to her three grandchildren who love her dearly.”
Esme Mutter, Head of Stroke Support at the Stroke Association, said: “After a stroke, around one in three people like Janice have difficulty communicating, which can be both terrifying and isolating. But with the right help and support, many stroke survivors are able to find new ways to communicate, and can rebuild their lives.
“Janice is a fantastic volunteer for the charity and works so hard to raise awareness of stroke to others. We’re incredibly grateful for her support.”
More than 350,000 people in the UK have aphasia, a communication disability which can be caused by stroke. The Stroke Association is urging people to show their support for stroke survivors who are lost for words and make a donation. For more information, visit www.stroke.org.uk/lostforwords.