When did you have your stroke? I had my stroke on September 15, 2000, while golfing.
What was your occupation? I was working at Culligan Water as a sales manager.
What are your favorite activities now? Golfing and spending time with my wife Erika. I spend a lot of time at the ACC.
What piece of advice would you offer to other people with aphasia? It will get better. Slow down, take your time and process. Homework is important. Repetition, repetition, repetition!
What is your biggest accomplishment in the last year? I started to teach a class at the ACC about sports. It’s called Sports Talk. We have fun, and we have lots of laughs. We have conversations about sports. I’m also in the Peer Mentor Program, where we go to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and see new patients with aphasia. I had two holes-in-one in the men’s league.
In what way are you raising awareness of aphasia in our community? We pass out pamphlets about the ACC. I tell people that I have aphasia. Aphasia is a loss of language, not intelligence!!!!
What is your favorite class or activity at the Aphasia Community Center? Sports Talk.
Do you have any pets? No.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Chocolate or vanilla.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Keep on going. It will get better in time.
