Hand In Hand

In December 2014 Michelle’s life was changed forever. She was driving on a duel carriageway that she used everyday. Later, she learned there was a Buzzard swooped down and smashed the windscreen of a small truck that was travelling behind her. The truck hit the back of Michelle’s company smart car really hard. She was pushed into the central reservation. The road was closed for hours. Michelle was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital. In the following years, as she recovers, Michelle became an active advocate for brain injury survivors. She runs a blog called Jumbled Brain, (https://www.jumbledbrain.com) with thousands of followers on Twitter.

This is a repost of one of our most popular episodes at the request of our members. It is widely believed that stroke recovery ends by the 18th month. In 2017, a case has been published that a Canadian survivor John Humphrey made significant recover on his motor skills 23 years after stroke. Hand in Hand Show had a special discussion with John and his doctor, Professor David Spence. How did it start? How did John notice that his affected hand start to move? Did he have any doubts? How did he reconnect with Dr David Spence? And many more. This is a very inspiring discussion. Stay tuned and join our special social media: www.strokefocus.net, and continue your discussion with John.

More than 9 year ago, David Karchem suffered a stroke on his way home. The former executive's life took an unexpected turn. In his recovery David found his new calling. He is now heavily involved with University of Southern California stroke research projects. In 2016, he got involved with the Strokefocus community after our launch. David wants to apply his own experience to drive stroke care to improve. He wants to challenge the myth that stroke recovery ends in 18 months. He uses his own experience, that he gained his smelling sense back in more than 6 years to prove that recovery extends much longer than the commonly believed timeline of only 18 months. A very resourceful individual, David built his own electric scooter. He even applied to the PhD program of Occupational Therapy of University of Southern California. Listen to David's interview. We wish Dave all the success!

Dr William Payne, a prominent surgeon in Chicago started MyOwnDortor.com, a telemedicine platform a few years ago. When he was a kid, William used to follow his dad, a successful doctor, to visit patients. Making it easy for patients and doctor to meet each other has always been his dream. Today, MyOwnDoctor.com is growing to become a successful platform to bring patients and doctors together. William assembled a team of healthcare professionals and What Sets MyOwnDoctor Product Apart: MyOwnDoctor has the ability to host fully interactive (e.g., audio, video, and media sharing for all attendees) informations sessions that inform and empower patients and caregivers to improve their own health. Its solution can host 5000+ attendees per online event. This is significant when applied to Population Health. Currently, on the market, this is the only Telehealth company with this capability; and it is hard to replicate. In addition, MyOwnDoctor has the ability to offer services like "Virtual Rounds" and/or to la

Dr Steve Cramer is a leading stroke researcher. He is Professor of Neurology at University of California Irvine Medical School, where he leads Neural Repair Lab or the Cramer Lab. Dr Cramer is cofounder of the Orange County Stroke Rehabilitation Network, which sponsors the Annual Stroke picnic and Annual Stroke Rehabilitation Continuing Education Workshop. This is a special interview about the 8th Annual Stroke Rehabilitation Continuing Education Workshop which is scheduled at Nov 18th 2017. Listen to learn more about the upcoming event.

Born in Nigeria, Ayo had a sweet childhood. His dad worked hard to provide a comfortable life for the family. In 1997, Ayo’s dad suffered his first stroke attack. He was lost on his way home. Someone picked him up finally and send him to hospital. Nobody contacted his home. After 30+ days, when his family finally found him, his condition was irreversible. The incident disrupted the whole family. Ayo’s mom had to take a job and work extra hours to support the family. Ayo later started a phone call business with the help of his uncle. 15 years later, Ayo’s dad passed away. This traumatic experience has motivated Ayo to set up the organization to help other survivors called Hope For Stroke. Hope for Stroke is a nonprofit stroke support organization founded in February 13, 2016 and registered in September 2016. It is based in Nigeria. The organization defines its audience as - People who have a history of stroke in their family line - People who have just had a stroke - People who have had stroke for so

In Episode 20, we interviewed Keith Taylor, a business owner and survivor. At that time, Keith is still working on his concept. Now, 6 months later, Keith's new business is ready to launch. Strength After Stroke is a company that was created by Keith Taylor for helping stroke survivors to regain their confidence and get their lives back on track. Keith has recently launched his signature program called the BASE Program. BASE is an acronym for Belief, Attitude, Strength, and Energy. In this latest segment of Hand in Hand podcast interviews, Cam Compton interviews Keith and his Business Coach/Manager, James Evanow from Pace Your Self Empowerment Systems. Evanow has been instrumental in getting the BASE Program and Strength After Stroke as he puts it, “untied from the dock and on her way towards its destination.” Strength After Stroke and the BASE Program are already helping many people to find a new course direction in their lives and to gain a new and revitalized path after dealing with such a life-changin

What is chiropractic neurology and is it a compliment to my stroke recovery? Meet Dr. Duffy, Dr. Patterson and Leslie of Innova Brain Rehabilitation. Their chiropractic neurology clinic outside of Atlanta, GA specializes in the treatment of brain injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases, without using medication or surgery. Chiropractic Neurologists use state of the art diagnostics to identify areas of the brain that have been compromised by injury or disorder, and then target these areas with oculomotor exercises, vestibular rehabilitation and other innovative modalities to create new pathways – pathways that lead to improved function, better cognitive thinking, or less pain. Tune in to learn more! You may find more about Innovabrain at https://www.innovabrain.com. Or contact the clinic at 770.485.6554

Statistics has shown that stroke survivors are far more concerned about challenges in adjustment to "the New Normal" than anything else. Communication is on the top of the list. It is not just aphasia. Survivors often find it hard to share their thoughts and experience with loved ones. The change is too traumatic and drastic. Making the situation more complex, not so many researchers are focusing on this. Now there is a researcher turning his focus on this issue. Bryan Abendschein, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is specialized in researches that "exploring how relational partners encounter, manage, and discuss times of stressful change". Bryan has found that stroke survivors a unique community that deserves far more attention. Bryan is recruiting survivors to participate in his study. Our host Cam Compton recently joined Bryan's program. "It is thought provoking!" Cam commented. To learn about Bryan's research, listen to his inte

6 years ago, Amy Ladrigan was working as a subcontractor for a Fortune 500 company, while finishing her school when she suffered a stroke. Life has changed forever since then. In this episode, Amy shares her story. The struggles she went through. The confusions she had. The new job she took on after stroke. And her new blog “My Journey After My Stroke” blog (www.myjourneyaftermystroke.com). Amy now wants to work with a support group to share her experience and insights with those who were as confused and helpless. It was painful as Amy recalls it. She wants to help. It is a journey that will resonate with many. Listen to this episode, as our host Cam discusses life after stroke with Amy.

Our interview with Laredo Stroke Support Group Continues. In this episode, Bill, Deedee and Paola discuss with Nancy what they do to involve caregivers. What will be in the pipeline. Caregivers are crucial organizers especially in the early stages of recovery. As a support group, LSSG recognizes of the tremendous importance to engage and support caregivers. Listen to the dialogue between Nancy and the group leaders. They have many insights and tips to share.

Laredo Stroke Support Group (LSSG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by stroke through meaningful group encouragement, local networking support, and free therapy services. Years ago, Bill Hrncir, a successful entrepreneur in Laredo suffered a massive stroke. At that time, there was no local support for stroke survivors in Laredo. As Bill got better, he and his wife started this group to help fellow survivors in Laredo. Today, LSSG has grown into a vibrant organization under its executive director Paola Huerta. In this interview, you will hear all the innovative ideas LSSG has adopted. The group not only offers art classes, gardening classes and free therapy services, but has come up creative ways to organize car pooling and local social networking. Let our host Nancy Weckwerth take you to this very eye opening interview.

Melissa is a caregiver and one of the leaders of Unlimited Possibilities, the largest stroke, TBI and aneurysm support group in Georgia. Melissa has been taking care of her husband Ron Burnard for seven and half years since his stroke. Today, she will share her experience and perspective as a caregiver. Additionally, Melissa has been traveling with Ron. We will learn from her tips and perspectives of traveling after stroke.

A veteran therapist, Tim Readman is the Executive Director of the Stroke Recovery Association of British Columbia and Professor at the UBC School of Rehabilitation Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine. He was also recently appointed as Senior Manager for Stroke Recovery with March of Dimes Canada. Tim graduated from the University of Northumbria, England, as an occupational therapist. He has been working with health care organizations in the non-profit sector since 1996 mainly in the field of organizational development. In this interview, Tim is pretty vocal about the fact that despite remarkable progress achieved in the acute stage, not enough has been done to help survivors adjust to the new life and help them regain their functions post discharge. Most of survivor's recovery is to be realized after not before discharge. Making support available post discharge deserves more attention. Let Tim tell you why there is such a disconnect. Aside from his passion to help with stroke survivors, Tim is also a pro

AVERT, which stands for A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial for Stroke, is the world's largest randomized multicenter trial conducted in stroke rehabilitation to date. It compares very early mobilization within 24 hours after symptom onset with usual care in patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke without significant coexisting comorbidity or premorbid disability. The trial has recruited 2000 survivors to participate. It develops and tests various modules to find out what works. Hand in Hand Show is very lucky to have Professor Julie Bernhardt who leads the program to share with us the progress of AVERT. In this episode, Professor Bernhardt will share with us, including: What is AVERT? How did it start? Which countries are involved? What have the researchers found? etc etc. Additionally, she will share with us findings on how environment impacts a stroke survivor's recovery. Listen to what Professor Bernhardt has to share!

Rated as the best neurologist in Laredo Texas, Dr Fernando Sanchez has been practicing neurology with Laredo Medical Group since 1997. He is an active supporter of the Laredo Stroke Support Group (LSSG), a vibrant nonprofit organization dedicated to survivors and families. Dr Sanchez would like to share his perspectives with survivors. Does the recovery end within a short window? What are the exciting new developments that is coming for stroke care? What are the biggest challenges to stroke care today? What advice survivors should get before leaving hospital? This special episode is brought to you by Laredo Stroke Support Group. Listen to what Dr Sanchez has to say.

Supporting stroke survivors is a local business. But in the East Bellevue, there was no such group until two stroke survivors, Laurie Byrd and Liz Rasmussen decided to take action. As part of recovery, they reflected a lot and completed a great deal of research on the resources available to people, their friends and family members after a stroke and found the need for more outreach. The “Overlake Stroke Support Group-What’s Next” was born in 2014. In the process of creating this support group, Jennifer Kurtz, the speech pathologist who treated them agreed to help. Listen to the story of this young and vibrant group.

A father of five, and a former basketball player, on December 23, 2014, Lee suffered from his first stroke. He woke up incoherent and unable to speak. Lee had no idea what was happening. He willed himself to his feet and called out to his wife to no avail. It was only until Lee was halfway down the stairs that his wife saw him. He will never forget the fear and horror that he saw in her eyes. His wife quickly called 911 and he was transported to the hospital. Lee experienced two more strokes by Christmas morning and by the New Years my journey began. The progress for the former college basketball player has been slow, painful, confusing, filled with self-doubt and denial at times. These obstacles have placed Lee in a position to help other "stroke warriors" who are trying to cope with life after a stroke(s). Today, he counter stroke with LIFE, LOVE and HOPE! Lee discovered the key to rehabilitation is to live life pass its limitations, love people pass their limitations, and have faith pass your limitati

It is widely believed that stroke recovery ends by the 18th month. In 2017, a case has been published that a Canadian survivor John Humphrey made significant recover on his motor skills 23 years after stroke. Hand in Hand Show had a special discussion with John and his doctor, Professor David Spence. How did it start? How did John notice that his affected hand start to move? Did he have any doubts? How did he reconnect with Dr David Spence? And many more. This is a very inspiring discussion. Stay tuned and join our special social media: https://www.strokefocus.net, and continue your discussion with John.

Do you know the amazing things service dogs can do to survivors? Do you know the difference between a service dog or therapy dog? There is a great company in Atlanta doing this in a unique way and attracting people from all over. Join us and learn about this wonderful business and what she does.