Aphasia group a finalist in fund competition

Good Things Happening

At age 52, Johan de Roos was a picture of health last year: no high blood pressure, no signs of heart disease and a comfortable cholesterol level.

Then came a stroke and what followed was a diagnosis of aphasia, a disease neither he nor his wife, Susan, knew much about.

Aphasia, they learned, is caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury. It damages the ability to speak and understand others, and causes difficulty with reading, writing and numbers.

The Evendale couple started an Aphasia Support Center project that has been selected as one of three from Cincinnati to make the top 50 list of the American Express Members Project, putting it in line for several million dollars.

Other local projects in the top 50 list: 50,000 Families up From Poverty and Children's Safe Drinking Water.

Susan de Roos said for years people with aphasia were given little hope for improvement beyond the first three months.

"Now we know that with continued therapy, improvement is possible," said Susan de Roos, a retired manager at General Electric, Evendale.

She said the Aphasia Support Center would provide group therapy, group activities, computer aided therapy, caregiver support and community outreach.

The 50,000 Families up From Poverty group aims to provide water to communities in India, Africa and other impoverished areas worldwide by drilling tube wells wherever needed.

The Children's Safe Drinking Water project aims to address this issue through an innovative and low-cost technology that effectively purifies and cleans water while removing bacteria, viruses and parasites.

American Express sponsors the program. Card members and the Members Project Advisory panel selected the final 50 projects from 7,000 ideas submitted.

Ideas included community-based projects throughout the United States and international aid projects in Africa and Asia.

In the next phase, cardholders will register and vote for a favorite project.

"We are encouraging all card members to make their voices heard by voting for the idea they want American Express to make a reality," said Jud Linville, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Consumer Business at American Express. "The power is in their hands."

To vote, log on to www.membersproject.com. Card members can register to vote through Aug. 5.

BIG DONORS TO UNITED WAY

Two local couples have joined 12 other couples, individuals and organizations in the United Way of Greater Cincinnati's Million Dollar Roundtable.

They are Stanley M. Chesley and his wife, Susan J. Dlott; and Jack Gluckman and his wife, Victoria Buyniski Gluckman.

Chesley, an attorney, is president of Waite, Schneider, Bayless and Chesley. His wife, Susan, is a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of Ohio.

Jack Gluckman is professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, at the University of Cincinnati.

Victoria Gluckman is founder and CEO of United Medical Resources Inc.

IN THE BLAIR CHAIR

FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair has no doubt left a lasting legacy during a decade in the hot seat.

Mr Blair has made tough decisions during his three terms in office and chaired challenging Cabinet meetings.

His work included the controversial decision to go to war in Iraq, constitutional reforms for Scotland and Wales, and a raft of domestic policies.

Now a Furness charity worker has had a glimpse of what it’s like being in Mr Blair’s shoes.

Retired Ulverston shopkeeper Christine Adams felt like she was PM for a day when she sat in the hot seat occupied by Mr Blair.

Mrs Adams, from Birkett Drive, also got the chance to meet Cherie Blair, wife of the Prime Minister, two weeks before her husband handed over the reins of power to Gordon Brown.

The 67-year-old grandmother is a member of a local branch of Speakability, a self help charity group which covers South Lakes, and is based in Kendal.

Speakability is involved with helping the quarter of a million people in the UK who suffer from “aphasia”, a condition which affects victims of strokes, head injuries or other neurological conditions.

And Mrs Adams was one of two members of the group lucky enough to go No 10 and raise the profile of Speakability with Cherie Blair.

Mrs Adams said: “Although we meet in Kendal we have members from all over the South Lakes. In fact our chairman, Fred Hammond, lives in Flass Lane, Barrow, and I live on Birkett Drive, in Ulverston.

“It was my speech therapist who put me in touch with them, when I had a brain aneurism and it was such a help to me I have stayed with them.

“Speakability relies on donations and we had collections in Booths’ supermarket in Windermere and Morrisons’ store in Kendal where we raised over a thousand pounds.

“Janet Rockliffe, the branch secretary, and I were lucky enough to be chosen to visit No 10 Downing Street. Names were drawn out of a hat and 45 people, including myself, were chosen.

“We were first taken through the main gate, where we had to go through security and were allowed to take photographs outside No 10. We went in three at a time to meet Cherie Blair and Lady Wilson, Harold Wilson’s widow, Mary. Cherie spoke to each of us and she was very nice. She was especially interested in Speakability as Tony’s father has aphasia and Tony is a vice-president of the charity. Cherie then came in and addressed everyone.

“We were able to look around the rooms, the dining room and the Cabinet Office where I sat in Tony Blair’s chair, and for a couple of minutes thought I was the Prime Minister!”

* Cherie Blair is featured on The Real Cherie Blair, on BBC One at 9pm tonight.
FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair has no doubt left a lasting legacy during a decade in the hot seat.

Mr Blair has made tough decisions during his three terms in office and chaired challenging Cabinet meetings.

His work included the controversial decision to go to war in Iraq, constitutional reforms for Scotland and Wales, and a raft of domestic policies.

Now a Furness charity worker has had a glimpse of what it’s like being in Mr Blair’s shoes.

Retired Ulverston shopkeeper Christine Adams felt like she was PM for a day when she sat in the hot seat occupied by Mr Blair.

Mrs Adams, from Birkett Drive, also got the chance to meet Cherie Blair, wife of the Prime Minister, two weeks before her husband handed over the reins of power to Gordon Brown.

The 67-year-old grandmother is a member of a local branch of Speakability, a self help charity group which covers South Lakes, and is based in Kendal.

Speakability is involved with helping the quarter of a million people in the UK who suffer from “aphasia”, a condition which affects victims of strokes, head injuries or other neurological conditions.

And Mrs Adams was one of two members of the group lucky enough to go No 10 and raise the profile of Speakability with Cherie Blair.

Mrs Adams said: “Although we meet in Kendal we have members from all over the South Lakes. In fact our chairman, Fred Hammond, lives in Flass Lane, Barrow, and I live on Birkett Drive, in Ulverston.

“It was my speech therapist who put me in touch with them, when I had a brain aneurism and it was such a help to me I have stayed with them.

“Speakability relies on donations and we had collections in Booths’ supermarket in Windermere and Morrisons’ store in Kendal where we raised over a thousand pounds.

“Janet Rockliffe, the branch secretary, and I were lucky enough to be chosen to visit No 10 Downing Street. Names were drawn out of a hat and 45 people, including myself, were chosen.

“We were first taken through the main gate, where we had to go through security and were allowed to take photographs outside No 10. We went in three at a time to meet Cherie Blair and Lady Wilson, Harold Wilson’s widow, Mary. Cherie spoke to each of us and she was very nice. She was especially interested in Speakability as Tony’s father has aphasia and Tony is a vice-president of the charity. Cherie then came in and addressed everyone.

“We were able to look around the rooms, the dining room and the Cabinet Office where I sat in Tony Blair’s chair, and for a couple of minutes thought I was the Prime Minister!”

* Cherie Blair is featured on The Real Cherie Blair, on BBC One at 9pm tonight.

Aphasia Sufferer's Book Club

The website of the National Aphasia Association defines the condition as: "Aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia is always due to injury to the brain-most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals.But brain injuries resulting in aphasia may also arise from head trauma, from brain tumors, or from infections." Victims of the disorder often lose their ability to enjoy various forms of reading that they may have once enjoyed. Book clubs for victims of the disease have been formed in several areas throughout the country.

One such book club has been founded at the Gesinger South Rehabilitation Center in Central Pennsylvania. Several types of the disorder exists and not everyone who gains the condition through a stroke will have difficulty reading.

According to Robin Petrus, the facilitator of the book club, the person with the condition retains the same personality, but difficulties expressing themselves result in ostracism. A patient suffering from the condition may hear a word and know what the word means but will not be able to make the same conclusion if it appears on the printed page.

The goal of the program is to restore the ability of the participants to read and understand a complete sentences and then to string them together into complete stroy. Petrus conceived the idea after hearing of a similar program that obtained good results in California. "I've had several patients who really enjoyed reading before their stroke and missed it a loft. So I felt it would be a good oppopurtunity for people with similar interestest to come together. The purpose of the group," Petrus stated, "Is to help people who have enjoyed reading before having aphasia to enjoy a good book again. It's therapeutic by nature."

Participants in the program not only receive a prepare guide to help them study the material and if the book on tape to help them along. According to Barbara Pizzoli, a resident of Atlas, the book club produced immediate results for her. Another participant had her ability to read and enjoy suspenseful mysteries restored. Debra Horn found it difficult to pay attention to what she read after suffering from a stroke in 1998.

In addition to restoring the ability to read and enjoy books, the program also brings together people who suffer from a similar condition. For many of them, who have difficulty getting around, it is one of the few opportunities they get to meet and interact with other people. Petrus said, "That's the key. I want this book club to help people do something they always enjoyed doing. We don't emphasize the disability. We emphasize their ability."

The High Road

Al, right, and Louise Mendrala go for an evening walk with their dog Rocky on Friday. Al suffered a stroke two days after Christmas in 2005, and now walks with a brace on his right leg and a cane. Al's speech is also severely limited. "It's like you're trapped inside your body and you can't get out," said Louise, Al's wife of 21 years. Al Mendrala, 60, wakes up cheerful, hangs out with other couples with his wife Louise and rides his recumbent trike or walks his dogs for miles a day.
Seventeen months ago these things would seem like normal, but they’re extraordinary considering he had a stroke near Christmas 2005. Aphasia, a cane and a simplified life are the results of his serious medical condition, but the couple doesn’t let it affect their quality of life.
"He gets up every morning, he has a smile on his face, ready to start the day, I give him a lot of credit," said Louise Mendrala, Al’s wife of 21 years and caregiver. She drives him everywhere. The two are determined to not let Al’s stroke bring them down.



Mendrala, right, readies his helmet before going for a ride on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle operated by longtime friend Andy Hart, left, of Bay City, on Saturday morning. It was Mendrala's first ride on a Harley since suffering a stroke at the end of 2005. "Andy and Al have been all over the country together," said Al's wife Louise.

"People get very depressed … both the stroke survivor and the caregiver," she said. "I guess there’s two roads you can travel, and we’ve chosen the other one."
He was even able to complete the Midland Community Center’s Dow/Run Walk this year, finishing the 5k walk without resting, and serves as an inspiration to family and friends.
Al was a few years from retirement as a research scientist in the toxicology lab at The Dow Chemical Co. in late 2005 when he was hospitalized with heart troubles. This bacteria infection caused his stroke and required open heart surgery days later. At that time, doctors weren’t sure he would gain movement back, Louise said.
"They always give you this scary diagnosis at first, that he’d never be able to walk and never be able to say more than five words," she said. Al spent 10 weeks in hospitals, bounding between MidMichigan Medical Center and St. Mary’s of Michigan.
But to them, it was a worse-case-scenario and they were going to beat that diagnosis. Thanks to hard work and the assistance of physical therapist Peg Essex, he’s walking.
"She told us that you either like her or you hate her," Louise said. "I recall her often telling Al ‘they’re your legs, use them!’
"She rarely let his take the easy road and always pushed him to do his best."
This desire to do his best was apparent when he noticed a flier for the Dow Run/Walk and wanted to enter. The couple practiced, making 5K walks, but stopping when needed at benches.
Louise had planned to walk with him, pushing his wheelchair so he could stop when needed.
"No," Al said, defiantly shaking his head as his wife told the story. He clearly wanted no help and planned on finishing the race upright. Two hours, one minute and 46 seconds later, he did, without stopping.
While being able to walk on his own was a big accomplishment, Al still lost a sense of independence due to the stroke. Al is a former Harley rider, having won several awards in the Iron Butt Association. He’s rode in 50 states, traversed 1,000 miles in 24 hours and even went coast-to-coast in less than 50.
The solution: trade his horsepower for leg power, riding a recumbent trike customized to his physical ability. Bicycle Headquarters in Midland modified it so the controls are on his left side, the hand he can still use.
"It’s a lot sportier," his wife said. Al proudly shows off the machine, which shows clear sign of wear on its tires. The couple took the bike in for maintenance recently, and just about everything needed tightening from heavy use.
Louise still rides with him in case of emergencies, but physically, he could take off on his own.
The couple walk or ride every day, facilitated by their new home, a condo they moved to by the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. They’ve explored new trails, such as the Chippewa Trail, and often take Rocky, their 13-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, on treks.
Al still struggles from the stroke when it comes to communicating, a condition called aphasia. His intelligence remains, but talking, writing, reading or doing simple calculations remain a struggle.
He’s making progress and can usually get his point across to his wife. He draws pictures to ask for specific things, and the sketches have greatly improved recently.
Al is back in speech therapy (his previous therapy had hit a plateau earlier) and despite being out of formal physical therapy, he works out three times a week to keep his muscles strong.
While the stroke has kept the family from retiring somewhere warm, a move to a new condo and the safety net of friends who understand their situation is something they don’t want to give up. They seem happy, especially Al, who walks around with bright eyes and a smile on his face.
"Al is always happy to visit with people, even though it is very difficult to communicate. He still has the same personality as before," Louise said.

Beyond words

13 years after an accident left her without her voice, Longmont woman discovers love, volunteerism

By Ben Ready
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — Danna Richards loves her fiancé, Colorado State University football, rock ’n’ roll, cheap matinees and Chinese food.

When she gets excited, the 44-year-old dances a little twist, flashes a smile and gives a thumbs-up. Friends say she’s as fun, funny and engaging as they come.

If Richards could speak and weren’t so humble, she’d probably tell you the same.

In 1992, Richards got into a car with a guy who’d been drinking. After he hit a tree on the 400 block of Francis Street, Richards spent 2 1/2 months in a coma, 8 months in the hospital and 13 years trying to make life work without the use of her left arm or ability to pronounce words clearly.

She suffered a traumatic brain injury causing aphasia, a language impairment that does not affect intelligence. About 1 in 250 people in America suffer from it, with stroke and brain injury survivors representing the largest percentage.

NEXT..............................................

Oliver Hardy (Laurel and Hardy)

Death

During 1956, Hardy began looking after his health for the first time in his life. During his health watch, he lost more than 150 pounds in a few months. This weight loss completely changed his appearance. However, he suffered a major stroke on September 14, which left him confined to bed and unable to speak for several months. He remained at home, being cared for by his beloved Lucille. He suffered two more strokes in early August, 1957 and slipped into a coma from which he never recovered. Oliver Hardy died on August 7, 1957, aged 65 years old. His remains are located in the Masonic Garden of Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.[1]

Bo Diddley Hospitalized After Suffering Stroke

Legendary blues singer Bo Diddley is in intensive care after suffering a stroke in western Iowa following a concert in Council Bluffs. Diddley was scheduled to perform in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Tuesday, May 22 and in Calgary on Saturday, May 26th in Calgary at the Silver Dollar Casino. Both concerts have been canceled.

Diddley, 78, was listed in guarded condition a Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Susan Clary, a publicist for the musician’s management team, said Wednesday doctors discovered he had suffered a stroke, which has impaired his speech and speech recognition. The artist is now walking around the hospital, and doctor’s are feeling optimistic he will once again perform. Diddley, whose home is in Florida, has a history of hypertension and diabetes. It is not known how long he will be in intensive care.

Considered one of the founding fathers of Rock & Roll, Diddley is known for his “hambone rhythm” style of playing guitar, influencing a new generation of artists such as Buddy Holly, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. He topped R&B charts with Bo Diddley in 1955, and was ranked No. 20 on Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He has produced a string of hits, including Who Do You Love, Before You Accuse Me, Mona and I’m a Man. Many of his original songs have been covered by other artists.

He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1998 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Born Ellas Bates in McComb Mississippi, in 2005, Bo Diddley celebrated his 50th anniversary in music with successful tours of Australia and Europe and with shows from coast to coast across North America.