Survivor brings joy to stroke victims

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit New Zealand. The visit was too short, with beautiful countryside and friendly people.

Here's some recent news from New Zealand about a stroke survivor who now heads a club that provides a support system for other survivors.

Survivors often get encouragement from other survivors, and this is one of the purposes of this blog. From The New Zealand Herald:

Barbara Mexted of Whakatane was visiting England with her husband Harold when he had a stroke in 1992.

Once home, they were invited to join the Whakatane Stroke Club. Mrs Mexted's answer was no. But two years later she was not only a member, but also the president.

Every month, Mrs Mexted greets 30 to 40 members at the Whakatane Disability Resource Centre before helping to push wheelchairs and show people to their seats.

"Someone had to take over when the old president left," she said. "I just feel that when you have a stroke you're often left feeling deserted. I do it because I enjoy seeing people enjoying themselves. We share a lot of laughs."

That's a lesson many of us can learn from.