Fitness for Aphasia and also for Katie

As you may know, I am in the final months (YIKES) of my graduate program. In the spirit of TRUE senioritis, I have decided to join the Fitness for Aphasia campaign to literally run away from my responsibilities AND support a cause that is near and dear to my heart.

You might be asking yourself, "Katie, what the heck is Aphasia?" so let me tell you - Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that occurs due to injury (most commonly stroke) to the left side of the brain. Individuals with aphasia can have difficulty with verbal expression, auditory comprehension, written expression, and reading comprehension.  Aphasia is common - about 25-40% of people who have sustained a stroke have aphasia (the numbers are different for other causes - Traumatic Brain Injuries, tumors, infections, etc.), and it is estimated that there are 180,000 new cases of aphasia per year in the United States (numbers are from the American Aphasia Society, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) That's a lot of fellow Americans who could use the research, resources, and education on Aphasia, and who better to help them but YOU AND I!

A few of my lovely colleagues have set up Fitness for Aphasia in support of the American Aphasia Society, which is a local non-profit organization with a mission to educate the nation about aphasia, improve access to resources and rehabilitation, provide hope, and better lives for people living with aphasia. Some questions you might be asking yourselves might include, "Katie, why are YOU participating in moderate exercise for (at least) 150 minutes per week and asking for my money? Shouldn't you be studying for comps? (yes) Get a job, hippy! (working on it)" I would let you know that exercise is a great way to prevent a stroke, and the American Aphasia Society recommends that 150 minutes of exercise per week to significantly reduce your chance of stroke! You should do it with me!  It'll be fun!

Please consider donating to benefit the American Aphasia Society. It would make me, my colleagues, and my clients with aphasia, IMMENSELY happy, and who doesn't like happy, healthy people!