Missoula, Mont. — June was recognized as Aphasia Awareness Month in Montana as advocates in Missoula worked to connect stroke survivors with support and treatment.
Aphasia is a communication disorder that affects speaking, understanding, reading and writing after a stroke.
In Missoula, Abigail St. Lawrence shared how she kept moving forward after her stroke and how that experience helped her encourage others living with aphasia.
"If I could have gotten there without all of the, all of the SLPs that were helping me, plus my friends and family, I just…I am so grateful," St. Lawrence said.
The Big Sky Aphasia Program played a major role in helping St. Lawrence rebuild her communication skills and helped others across Montana as well. The program provided intensive therapy for people living with aphasia. [Big Sky Aphasia Program link]
"This program is grounded in being really intensive. So folks are here with us, this year for about 72 hours of therapy that they receive over the course of about three weeks. This is a lot more intensive than what most people with aphasia get," Jenna Griffin Musick said.
Advocates said support after a stroke could be hard to find for many Montanans, especially in rural communities.
"The problem in the state of Montana is that a lot of people, when they get discharged from inpatient rehabilitation or from acute care, don't know what comes next. They know they have aphasia, but they might not be aware of the services that are available in their region," Musick said.
That was part of why advocates said a new proclamation from Gov. Greg Gianforte recognizing June as Aphasia Awareness Month mattered. They hoped the added attention would help more people find resources for recovery. [Governor proclamation link]
"So many stroke survivors, we have so much determination that we do so much more than the doctors ever thought we would do," St. Lawrence said.
Originally published on montanarightnow.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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