Amy Edmunds, a stroke survivor, is a globally  recognised advocate of young adult stroke  patients. Her group – YoungStroke, Inc., is a 501 c3  non-profit advocacy organisation that evolved from  her graduate research to extend understanding of  the stroke experience among young adults and their
caregivers.

Referring to young stroke survivors in her  article “Speak Up and Speak Out”, she says:

When stroke leaves a young adult with aphasia,  the sudden loss of ability to communicate  imposes hardships upon social and workplace  relationships which differ from geriatric stroke  survivors.

Social relationships are often honed during  early adulthood as interpersonal evolve during  dating and early marriage. Young adults who  experience aphasia may forfeit opportunities to  build such meaningful, committed relations due  to their inability to effectively express emotions
. . . in addition to managing other deficits  imposed by stroke. In contrast, many  geriatric survivors have already experienced  such relationships. Additionally, many have  nurtured long-lasting friendships and raised  children into adulthood.

Amy adds:

Globally,  young  stroke  survivors  are  an emerging  population driven by epidemics of  obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Within six  years, nearly two million Americans who have  suffered a stroke or brain injury will be  living with aphasia according to  the
American      Speech-Language      Hearing      Association.

The growth in survivors – with stroke or  stroke resulting in aphasia, correlates with  the formation and growth of     Facebook groups  specifically for young adults (ages 18 to 50 of  age).

Here we identify some of the leading groups for  young people with stroke and aphasia.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE Continue reading →