TALKING one day, silent the next.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After suffering a stroke, Rachel Parsons lost her ability to speak – a condition called aphasia.
Despite her struggles, she resolved to regain what had been lost, while strengthening others through the Maitland Aphasia Group.
On Saturday, the group hosted a trivia night to raise funds and awareness for the condition – reaching a total of almost $3000 from the event.
While the group’s members have a common condition, they are more closely bonded through their tenacity.
Purposes of their meetings include supporting one another, building confidence, and rebuilding communication through speech therapy.
Ms Parsons said a lack of external financial support meant the group relied on their own fundraising efforts to continue fortnightly speech therapy sessions.
“The hardest thing is people don’t know what aphasia is and, especially if you have a stroke, they think you’re weird,” Ms Parsons said.
“But, we’re not.
“We still have everything in [our heads], it’s just hard to get it out.
“I hate saying it, but the government doesn’t do anything to help.
“How would they feel if one day they were talking normally, but then the next day something happened and they can’t?”
People from around the Hunter attend the group’s meetings, where they are encouraged and supported.
New members are welcome. Those interested in joining can contact group co-founder Fiona Bell at fionajanebell@outlook.com