Fitness for Aphasia

Hello! :) My name is Achyutta Patel and I'm a graduate student in Emerson College's Communication Sciences and Disorders program.  Before my interest in the field of speech-language pathology, I had no knowledge or awareness of aphasia, though I did have personal experience with strokes. 

Seldom do we hear about life after someone has undergone a stroke, and seldom do we hear about life with aphasia. As a graduate clinician, I had the privilege of working with clients with aphasia and gaining insight into how their lives had changed following their strokes. How had their relationships changed? How had their views of themselves change? Each question had profound implications regarding not only how important communication is to our core but the importance of personal growth and perseverance.

Working with these individuals was, in short, a blessing. And now, I've joined the Fitness for Aphasia team to raise funds for the American Aphasia Society (AAS). The AAS is a local non-profit whose mission is to educate the nation about aphasia, improve access to resources, provide hope and better lives. And since stroke is the #1 cause of aphasia, I've made a pledge to exercise at least 150 minutes each week to promote cardiovascular health as a vital component of stroke prevention.

Through the Fitness for Aphasia fundraiser, I hope to raise awareness of stroke and its impacts, share strategies for communicating with people with aphasia, and support the AAS in their mission to serve the local aphasia community. You can help me by reading my posts to learn more, sharing my page through email or on social media, donating to the cause, or even providing encouragement as I exercise in the tundra that is Boston! Thank you for helping us amplify the voices of a community who has so much to say and must work very hard to do so!