No Time Like the Present
– Wofford Humphries –
From Wofford:
I had a stroke about 13 years ago.
At the time, I did physical, occupational and speech therapy. I was told that any recovery that I would experience would occur in the first 6 months to a year and that recovery after that was very unlikely.
About a year ago, I decided to try speech therapy again and made some progress. After a couple of months, she introduced me to TAP.
I started once a week with Aphasia Day on Wednesdays. I made so much progress and met so many new friends that I now attend TAP sessions 4 days a week—including book club and singing occasionally with the singing group TAPTastics.
I highly recommend that anyone afflicted with aphasia and their families to explore all available at TAP.
From Wofford’s son, Choots:
Our family was unable to put a name to my father’s aphasia until TAP. We all understood the effects of my father’s stroke and we all lovingly worked hard over the many years to help him cope. However, this was often in a counterproductive way.
TAP has opened our eyes to all that is possible for people afflicted with aphasia and their families. My father and our family have found tremendous support from a community of trained staff, volunteers and others working to overcome the effects of aphasia. The generous amount of acceptance and empathy has empowered my father to take charge of his recovery and to challenge himself every day to consistently try new things and subsequently accomplish more.
We are very grateful for TAP, and we are especially grateful for the ‘Learning to Speak Aphasia’ program that provides education, training and support for families.
From the TAP Home Office:
I love today’s story for so many reasons… first of all, the grit and courage it took for Wofford to do a video Holiday / 12 Days of TAP message! When Wofford and his son, Choots, came to meet us at the TAP office, they were surprised to hear of the hope we preach years and years after a person’s stroke/onset of aphasia. They had been told that he had made the most improvement that he was capable of, and yes, was so open to trying TAP out for the programs we offer to individuals with aphasia and their families. They attended the very next Learning to Speak Aphasia training, as well as Aphasia Day. Well, it wasn’t long until we all noticed the improvement in Wofford’s speech and ability to access the words he wanted to communicate. He was being held accountable by the group leaders and making significant gains.
Deciding to create his entry with a video is testament to Wofford’s pride in his accomplishments, as well as his ongoing efforts to challenge himself. We are so grateful for the words from Wofford and his son.