“Have you ever heard about aphasia?” That’s the question our members asked of attendees at Saturday’s Health and Wellness Fair hosted by the Woodlawn Presbyterian Church.
Almost half of the people who completed our survey had heard about aphasia, but many more who were reluctant to fill it out had no idea what it was, and were happy to learn about it from our members. Attendees were shocked to learn that aphasia is more prevalent than Parkinson’s disease, or ALS, or muscular dystrophy.
“This is great information, because someone I know had a stroke, and has difficulty communicating”, said one of the attendees. Another reported having a good friend who had aphasia. “I never knew there were groups or societies about aphasia, and I wish I had known”, she said.
There was a great turnout at the Fair that was very successfully organized by the Woodlawn Presbyterian Church planning committee. Seven members and spouses joined the Executive Director, Jackie Hinckley, at the Fair. It was a great turnout with a great result.
“We’ll have to do more exhibits like this one”, said Hinckley, “it got the word out about all we do at Voices of Hope for Aphasia, and was a confidence-building experience for our members.”