CommuniCATE Stories

This page showcases some of the writing produced by people with aphasia involved in CommuniCATE.  Some are moving personal stories, some are funny, and some are informative.  All of these blog posts were written during therapy using assistive writing technologies, and are published with consent of the authors.    We hope you will enjoy reading them.

Some author names and personal details have been changed at their request to maintain anonymity.

 

 

Gail Richardson

I’m Gail. I had my stroke in December 2016. I have aphasia and apraxia. I have always liked writing funny stories about my dogs – it happens a lot!

Gail’s dogs also feature in her most recent writing that reflects her love of music.  She explains, “I also want to share about some of the music and stories of my life.”

 

Joy

My name is Joy.  First I wrote about my experience since having a stroke in Montserrat where I worked as a dental therapist, and how my life has changed.

Next, I wrote an information leaflet.  My project is about Aphasia and how it affects me. I hope it can help family and friends to understand and support.

Joy’s most recent piece, written in Summer 2020, reflects on the extended UK Lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. She explains:
“I wrote about the lockdown because it has been an interesting time for everyone. This piece talks about the positives of being in lockdown for myself, friends and those close to me”

 

ID

ID chose to write about HMS Barham. He explains:
“I cannot believe it is over 9 years since my stroke but since that time I have been involved in all sorts of new activities, many of them as a volunteer in projects with my friends at City University.
This piece of writing partially takes me back to my model making youth. I wanted to write about HMS Barham because she seemed to be an afterthought to stories about more well-known ships in the British fleet. What I discovered from my research surprised me!”

 

Roy Jose

Hello, My name is Roy and I am interested in history. Please enjoy my writing.

Roy had been studying for a PhD in history before he had a stroke.  Firstly, he writes about how his life changed after his stroke and about his plans for the future.  Secondly, he tells an intriguing story from the era of Elizabeth I, Queen of England.

In our Summer 2020 group, during the UK Lockdown due to Covid-19, Roy was motivated by the idea of Desert Island discs.  He combines his love of music and history to write about pieces by Bach and Copland.

 

 

Z’s Cancer story

Z tells a moving story about her experience of breast cancer since her stroke.

 

A. Wilson

A. Wilson worked as a professional upholsterer. Here he writes about his life before and after his stroke.

 

Elliot Pickering

My name is Elliot, age 34 at the time of stroke and I have aphasia – I had a stroke that changed my life.  Hopefully a long life but this is my story.

 

Nazia Hussain

Nazia worked internationally for Human Rights organisations before her stroke.  She wrote ‘I had a stroke, what now?’

 

Paul

This is a showcase of the excellent blog posts that Paul, a participant on the CommuniCATE research project, wrote as part of his therapy.
Paul also uploads these to his own blogsite, so please do check out https://mystrokesite.wordpress.com/.
Paul was very motivated throughout his therapy and commented in one of his blog posts “At last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I cant wait for the therapy to start.”  Read Paul’s blog here.