In this episode, we talk with Aitel, a stroke survivor and author of A Stroke of Luck. He shares what it was like to lose language, and still feel a deep need to tell his story. We talk about recovery, family across continents, and what it means to keep communicating when the words don’t always come.#aphasia #stroke #strokerecovery #strokesurvivor #strokeawareness #aphasiaawareness #speechtherapy #braininjury #slp #strokewarrior #speechtherapist #speechpathology #apraxia #aphasiatherapy #autism #strokerehab #invisibleillness #hopeafterstroke #thestrokestoryteller #mysayforstroke #strokeresearch #strokerehabilation #pictureaphasia #notalone #braininjuries #strokewarriors #believeagain #smallsteps #strokefighter #mindset

In this episode, we sit down with Aphasia Phil (Phil Oxendine), an aphasia advocate who turned a lack of representation into action.

After his stroke, Phil noticed something missing. There were very few real, relatable aphasia voices on YouTube. So instead of waiting for someone else to tell those stories, he started telling his own.

Phil shares his personal journey with aphasia, what recovery has really looked like, and the moment he realized how critical support groups and community are for people living with communication challenges. We talk about isolation, finding people who truly understand, and why being seen and heard matters just as much as therapy.

In this episode, Bonnie shares her story as Roger’s wife and primary caregiver, beginning with the moment she discovered him during his stroke and the call to 911. She walks us through the shock and uncertainty of those early hospital days, learning on the fly, staying present, and making decisions when nothing felt clear.Bonnie talks candidly about what came next. The long hours in therapy, the repetition, and the progress that feels invisible from the outside. She opens up about the emotional whiplash of caregiving, the quiet victories, the frustration, the exhaustion, and the joy that still finds its way in.