North London stroke survivor adds her voice to Lost for Words campaign

Islington stroke survivor Joslyn Attico-Bona, 50, is one of the thousands of people living with aphasia, a communication disability, as a result of a stroke.

Joslyn, a mother of one, had a severe stroke in 2016 when her son was just three years old. The stroke left Joslyn with no speech at all and affected the movement in her right-hand side of her body. Currently, Joslyn’s speech has not returned and she is only able to say a few words, like ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

Joslyn attends the Stroke Association’s Communication Support Group at the Islington Outlook Centre each week, and the Stroke Association’s Islington Aphasia Cafe every fortnight.

Joslyn’s husband, Alberto, said: “Joslyn’s aphasia can be so upsetting and frustrating. The Stroke Association’s support has really helped to give Joslyn different tools to help rebuild her communication. We’re determined not to give up, and we’ll do everything we can to help Joslyn recover from this.”

The Stroke Association’s Lost for Words campaign aims to raise awareness of the challenges stroke survivors with communication difficulties can face, and help and support available.

Cameron Smillie, Stroke Association Support Coordinatorat the Stroke Association, said: “After a stroke, around one in three people like Joslyn 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. We really enjoy seeing Joslyn at our support groups each week; her happy disposition never fails to make us smile. I’m so proud of her determination.”

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, visitwww.stroke.org.uk/lostforwords.