O'Brien — as a card and key chain she carries in her purse both explain — has aphasia. "Please be patient," it reads. "I have trouble talking."
Aphasia, which affects about 1 million people in the United States, is a word many never have heard.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders, aphasia is an acquired disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain responsible for language, usually located on the left hemisphere.
Stroke survivors quite often struggle for words, to complete sentences. The thoughts are there, but for some, it's difficult to relay those thoughts. Thoughts that are as valid as anyone's. So, as the woman's card says: "Please be patient."
1 comment:
I love the keychain idea. This is a lovely post.
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