Do you know what APHASIA is? It is the loss or impairment of the ability to use or comprehend words. It is quite common among stroke victims and can also occur with other types of brain traumas. This devastating condition is the 3rd largest cause of death among the elderly and each year nearly 800,000 people in this country suffer a stroke.
This past week Sheridan Rotarians had a program about aphasia from a real expert in the field. Rotarian Fred Sturdevant’s daughter Megan Sutton was our guest speaker. Megan is a speech pathologist with extensive experience working with stroke victims. She works to help these afflicted individuals regain their use of speech through a variety of methods learned over the years. A new approach pioneered by Megan and her colleagues in her home town of Vancouver, BC uses a series of computer apps (tactustherapy.com) to reinforce the hands-on therapy she gives her patients. Megan is also a co-contributor on a new book (“Healing the Broken Brain” – available on Amazon) about aphasia therapy. At the present time she is preparing to travel extensively across America and Europe promoting her new book and her computer applications for stroke recovery.
Sheridan Rotary tries to present interesting programs twice a month to its members, and non-members are always welcome to attend. The club has formal meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month with a dinner at 6:15 and guest speaker at 7:00 pm. The meetings are held in the Community Room of the Sheridan Public Library. On the remaining Tuesdays of each month, the club members are involved in community projects such as leaf and trash removal in the parks, working to put on community meals, doing community construction projects and sometimes just cleaning up an eyesore.
If you would like more information about Rotary or would like to attend a formal meeting, please contact any Rotary member or stop by the library and visit with club president Steve Martin. And remember that our guest speaker programs begin at 6:45 pm and do not require any permission to attend; they are open to the public. Our program for Tuesday evening, March 21 will feature Sheridan Schools Superintendent Dr. Dave Mundy who will talk about the upcoming school referendum.