06/30/2025
June is 💕 This is a story of strength, courage, and communication. Living with Aphasia can make everyday conversations a challenge, but watching someone face those challenges with resilience and hope is truly inspiring.
"About nine months ago, it felt like the world switched to a language I didn’t understand. My stroke caused aphasia, a language disorder that affects your ability to speak, write, and comprehend. Millions of people live with aphasia, sometimes temporarily, sometimes for life, and yet it’s still so misunderstood. Strangers often assumed it was a cognitive issue, and even doctors and therapists don’t fully understand what it feels like from the inside.
I’ll never forget those early days and how devastating and isolating it was to lose something as fundamental as speech. Before the stroke, I was nervous to speak up: reading aloud in school, sharing ideas in college seminars, pitching at Romulus and RCAA. I worried I’d say the wrong thing. Looking back, it’s so humbling to think I once thought that was hard.
I wish I could snap my fingers and fast-forward to fluency, but recovery doesn’t work that way. If you have aphasia (or know someone who does), be patient, show grace, and own your voice (no matter what it sounds like today)."
