I hope she does well, i know what its like to go through intense physio for basic functions, its so hard becauseyou could do it so easy before and then all of sudden it becomes impossible, it takes time to re-train. Best wishes :)
Studying Broca's Aphasia currently at uni, sad but fascinating to watch people like this, she truly is quite amazing and brave, just battling on. Would have been much easier just to not make a video like this. Thankyou for sharing and I hope she is doing well.
I'm a nursing student looking this video up for class. You're brave and beautiful for sharing this with the world and for people struggling with this condition.
Thanks for this. I'm studying psychology and watching inspiring videos like this showing people with huge amount of power to overcome obstacles helps me get through tough exams!
Much creds to Sarah for showing us her progress, I hope I will do the same if I end up in a similar situation.
It could be due to her recovery process, but this seems a bit different from "classical" Brocas aphasia, she can talk with a relatively fast rhythm, on the other hand she seems to have some smaller comprehension problems, as well as alexia (inability to read), which is usually less pronounced with Brocas. Good luck to her!
Thank you very much for posting this video, we are learning about Broca`s Aphasia in lecture and now I know I will never forget thanks to Sarah. I wish you all the best with her progress
I would like to express my thanks to this beautiful young woman. I too had a stroke January 28, 2010. I lost all of my speech and hearing. I lost my right arm for 4 hours. My neurlogist had found a 2mm (3/4") PFO in my heart. I have had more strokes than one. The PFO had always been there, but I didn't know about it ( no one had). The MRI had revealed my brain was ridded with brain damage. After 2 years I can talk and hear. I believe that Sarah can recover just like me. Bless you Sarah!!
@scubaboy10 thank you! Good luck with your recovery. I (Sarah's mum) also had a stroke at the end of November, and they found a PFO in my heart too - I am waiting for surgery.
being only 20, I'm sure this is incredibly difficult to go through and could not imagine it. I am in a biological psychology class doing a research paper, yet something that she would love to do like read the case studies she is unable to do. A tragedy and yet she is fighting so hard to get past this.
@Krentzifier Yes, that' correct - but 25% of the population have a PFO. There was no clear evidence it was the cause of Sarah's stroke, but it's all they found.
It's incredible that although your sentences aren't necessarily grammatically "correct," your thoughts are coherent and you are able to isolate only the words that are relevant to what you're trying to say. I hope you are able to recover some of that ability!
@linked2swim I would be willing to bet that the people who gave this a negative vote thought that she was faking it, and I only think that because she is doing alarmingly well. The first video i saw was the next one and when i saw it, knowing what brocas aphasia is and does, i expected her condition to be far worse and was surprised to see how well she was doing. i could be wrong but its just a thought.
@oettgend if people think that they are wrong - there's another video of us on Breakfast TV in the UK on You Tube, I guess that would also verify that Sarah is genuine. People are entitled to their opinion though!
Truly remarkable, both of you. I hope she (Or you if it's Sarah reading this :) ) are doing well. It's something I can't quite imagine but you seem to be dealing with it in the best way and hope you both keep smiling :)
@DarthRockstar thank you for your comment. Sarah has just gone on her first holiday away with her carer, but I read all the comments to her and she loves hearing them.
i was ina car accident two years ago and i suffered a double concussion.Shortly after i also had a stroke. For a long time now i never fully understood what was wrong in my head and doctors werent really helping they said id either get better or i wouldnt. I had ahard time collecting words i could spell them describe what they meant but i just couldnt make them come out. My aphasia isnt as bad anymore but it made me smile just a bit to see someone who would understand and my heart goes out toher
@jesterkimi thanks for leaving a comment, it's good to hear that your aphasia has improved a lot. I think there's so much about the brain that is still not understood, but it's encouraging to hear about your progress :)
This certainly shows the seriousness of getting congenital cardiac defects identified and treated promptly! Venous emboli travelling to the brain is a terrible thing for anyone to experience, to say nothing of the young. If I may ask, at what age was her septal defect repaired?
Symph : This one is closer to home than I betray. Sarah's expression at 35 seconds as you explain her age is a familiar one. Your kindness and patience in the background is evident. Sometimes we can do more with kind words than all the physicians available to us. A young brain can repair and re-wire but the words just will not arrive sometimes. Sometimes I wish we had spare parts! I smile.
@SymphUK I agree with Troya, my mom had a stroke nearly 3 months ago and I see that expression at :35 a lot. this is so encouraging for me to see. :) {HUGS}
I'm in med school right now, looking forward to be a neurologist.
Her strength (and like hers, many others') make me feel that's what I want to do: diagnose, treat, help and support people by studying this amazing organ and its yet to be known ways of working.
You're doing great, Sarah. Keep fighting, for your force is our motor.
@burningmatch09 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for your kind words. It's good to know that caring people like you are in med school!
I wish you the best! This is so difficult to look at. I am taking a Memory& Memory Improvement class and just learned about tons of things that can occur to memory and i can just imagine being in a situation like this.
@MsHildita thank you for leaving a comment. Sarah was lucky to retain most of her memory, it must be very difficult to have memory problems. All the best x
@MsHildita ,Very sad ,I was looking over a few videos doing research for a nursing school project and found Sarah's video, it was incredibly interesting and she holds much promise. I do hope she progresses and does well. God Bless.
@TroyaE117 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, it can be really frustrating - luckily Sarah still has a good sense of humour and that carries us through.
Hi Symph. Firstly this must be heartbreaking, terrible to see at such a young age. Just wondering, if she can't produce a sentence, could she write it down at a normal(ish) speed? Also, has her ability to do mathematics been affected at all? Thanks x
@obone01 it's an interesting question about the maths, Sarah seems to be able to do sums if they are written down. Her writing is neat, but she can't form full sentences - the little words like "in', 'if', 'at', which are meaningless words are very difficult.
@TroyaE117 Symph is me (Sarah's mum). I read all the comments with Sarah but she can't reply personally yet. She is trying to learn to write sentences again but it's very tough. Thanks for your comment though, it's appreciated :)
hELLO sARAH I HAVE JUST NOTICED YOU VIDEO AND ITS GREAT YOU ARE HELPING RAISING AWARENESS WITH YOUR STORY CHECK OUT MY STORY AT MY 2 PART MOVIE CALLED "DRUMBEATSTROKE" I HAD MY STROKE AT 38YRS OLD[ I DUE TO A BRAIN HEM AND I WAS ONE MONTHG IN A COMA,I AM I AM TOTALLY PARALYSED ON MY LEFTSIDE MY VOICE CHANGE AND I CANT SWALLOW PROPERLYTOO I HAVE LOST MY PERIPERAL VISION AND I AM IN TREMENDOUS PAIN I CANT GOTO YHE TOILET EITHER IF YOU WANT TO CHAT PLS DO IF YOU NEED SUPPORT!
@kynancecove thanks for your message and sorry that you have been left with pain after your brain haemorrage. It sounds as if you are also doing a lot to raise awareness, so it's something positive to come out of a difficult situation. All the best.
It looks like she's doing relatively well. She must have had really good speech therapy. My thoughts go out to her and her family. A stroke at 18 is horrible for anyone, but she looks like she's pulling through like a champ.
@ferretyluv thank you for your lovely comments. Speech therapy really helps a lot, Sarah is making some progress with her reading now, which is something that she really loved to do before her stroke.
@gammerstang2009 When Sarah suffered her stroke, the area in her brain called the Broca's Area, on the dominant left frontal lobe, lost its blood supply for long enough for the brain cells to die. This means that this area, which contains memories for fine motor command required for articulating words, was damaged and resulted in a Brocha's aphasia. People who suffer this condition often have less trouble saying content words (nouns, verbs etc), but huge trouble with function words (if, buts..)
@wcranners your are right, the small meaningless words like 'to, if, but, am, go' etc. are very hard for Sarah, although naming things is much easier than it was in the early days after her stroke.
@gammerstang2009 yes, when someone has a stroke it usually destroys part of the brain - in this case, the part of the brain that controls language understanding and production. However, other parts of the brain can often take over those functions so therapy is very important.
I live in Portland Oregon, in USA. I just happened to find your video searching for Aphasia. I am very touched by what you experienced. I wish you the best in your recovery. You can do it! And you are very good at it! :)
@DasSchlyggen yes, younger people are said to have more brain plasticity, which means that often other parts of the brain can take over the functions that were lost. It's still a long slow progress and lots of hard work though!
so she can learn and understand like she didn't lose her mind, but she only lost the ability so speak well? wow the brain is amaizing seems that it organizes separated sections for all the different tasks and abilities a human can do, the brain is just amaizingly complex!
@EMC2Documentaries yes, the brain really is incredible. It's only when you lose some brainpower due to illness that you recognise how fantastic an organ it is. There's still so much that is unknown about the brain - the truth is that people can continue recovery decades after suffering a brain injury.
Yes you're right it's been 7 years since my stroke. Someone had to point out to me that I no longer dragged the tip of my left foot when I walk. I guess the body is in a constant state of repair. don't give up hope.
This video was shared during our cognitive psychology classes.. I get tears in my eyes every time I see this video but I keep coming back and hoping you're doing ok!!! All the best!
Hi Sarah! Thank you for that video! It's really interesting!
I hope you will have good progress and as little problems with your heart and brain as possible.
But I have to say that when I saw you in this video, I thought that you are one of the most sympathic and loveable human beings I have seen on youtube so far. Don't stress yourself too much. You're cool!
People that react weirdly or not understandably towards an aphasia as you have it, are just to weak, ignorant or unknowing. Take care!
I have a very mild form of aphasia caused by a spinal infection I had when I was 14 which also affected some parts of my brain. I am so lucky I didn't get it this bad, but even so it is so frustrating. Typing is okay as long as I don't look at the keys. If for a moment I try to plan where my fingers go my mind just goes blank. People say I sound stupid, which is probably true, but I have just finished my first degree and am going on to study at Oxford next year. Appearences can be decieving!
Thank you, Sarah for this video. I am a medical student in the US. We are learning about aphasia and this is so helpful. My brother had a stroke but his speech eventually came back slowly. I hope all is well in the UK. You are such a beautiful and strong young lady! Thanks again for this post!
Has your therapist mentioned touch-typing? A lot of the RSA course, in the early stages, is the same few keys over and over, while reading from a pad. Also, is speed-reading something you may find useful? Just pour it in and let your neurons work on it? You can always look back at the printed text for sense, later. Did you have favourite books you could use for this? Continuous text would give you no option but to absorb it, as is, and not rely on pictures or photographs for cues and meaning.
Thank you very much for sharing what must be a very personal issue. It's so very helpful when one can see on an actual person the physical and social manifestations of what would otherwise be a mere concept. I don't think I'll ever forget what Broca's aphasia is. I sincerely wish you the best.
come across your video while preparing for the exam, your video helps me to differenciate wernicke's aphasia and borca's aphasia. thank you very much, and good luck
Incredible set of videos. Are you thinking about making an updated version? This helps out alot of people studying & seeing patients with her condition. Question..........who 'dislikes' this video? They must be out of their minds? Thank you for posting this. All of my best!
@AuggieX1 thanks for your lovely comment! Sarah is thinking of doing an update as it will be 2 years on Friday since her stroke. Maybe people 'dislike' it because it's a difficult or upsetting subject to watch.
Hi Sarah. Thank you for sharing your story. I also have a hole in my heart and had a stroke in July 2010. I lost my speech temporarily, but was fortunate that most of it returned, and the resulting aphasia is fairly mild. I've seen both your videos, and your speech is improving : ) I hope to see you post another video soon . . . You're a terrific inspiration : )
@onepieceofgumleft thank you (and we love your name!) It's good to hear that your problems were only temporary and that you feel better now. All the best.
@SymphUK Glad you like the name : ) ... My stroke was actually the inspiration. My nickname is Gum (when my nieces and nephews were little, they couldn't pronounce Graham, so Gum stuck (no pun intended) When I had my stroke, I felt like "one piece of Gum left"...but, there's lots of other pieces still remaining...just like I can tell, there's lots of amazing pieces that make up Sarah....and I know they're all still there too : )
@TheReenix it is a difficult condition to live with, over a million people in the US and 250 thousand in the UK have aphasia and yet hardly anyone has heard of it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment :)
I found my patient to have the same aphasia but more babbled and baby-like. We got her a ct of the brain promptly and found a bleed. It had gone unnoticed for hours because the nurse prior to me thought the pt was having sundowners or dementia. Very scary. Very frustrating for the victim.
@NurseJhonnaMS it's great that you managed to carry out a CT scan quickly and help your patient. Thank you for leaving a comment we really appreciate it :)
I love that his video is up because, like others have said, there really is a lake of information out there. I'm learning about lateralization and language in my upper level psychology class and find it tragic, although fascinating. This also helps me remember which is which with Broca's and Wernicke's!
Omg I feel so bad for her...does she feel frustrated that she can't get the words out? Is it similar to how when someone is trying to speak in a different language that they are learning or does her brain process the information as it should but she simply can't say the words? So many questions...reading about it does not do this aphasia justice!
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm going to be showing this video in my graded Psychology seminar about brain structure and language. You are an inspiration and I hope the future holds nothing but good things for you.
Woo, I hope Sarah is doing better daily, & communicating is getting easier for her. I'm 27 & have aphasia symptoms from FMS, I hope to see a neuro too so they can diagnos it, I notice it more because I really need to use my brain for my physics degree! I am still doing well considering so it's not all doom & gloom for people with aphasia. I hope everyone is ok!
@Abrocrombie2012 it's great to hear about people like you who've gone on to college after suffering a stroke. You must have had a tough time recovering, but it's very inspirational - thanks for leaving a comment :)
I hope that your recovery is 150%. I haven't gone through what you have, but my mother did and had the exact same symptons. It took a long time for her to even get back to a normal conversation, as she used to be a "real" talker. We cried and cried whenever she broke down after having difficulty.
By posting this video, you'v given me a chance to show others how to understand the effects.
My God keep you safe and bless you with more than you can imagine.
I hope that your recovery is 150%. I haven't gone through what you have, but my mother did and had the exact same symptons. It took a long time for her to even get back to a normal conversation, as she used to be a "real" talker. We cried and cried whenever she broke down after having difficulty.
By posting this video, you'v given me a chance to show others how to understand the effects.
My God keep you safe and bless you with more than you can imagine.
Hello sarah its Ryan again. im just so amazed at your attitude towards your stroke. You have had such a impression on me. Keep up the good work. I would also like to say thank you again to your mom. If i wasnt for her we wouldnt be able to see how wonderful you are. Thank you so much mom. I wish the whole world was filled with people like you...then it would be such a better place
Please let Sarah know that I had a stroke in April 2009 and also have Broca's aphasia. Like Sarah, it severely impacted my abilities to speak, write, and read. After a great deal of patience and effort things slowly improved. While I still have days where I struggle to communicate, I published my first novel in February and my second is coming out in May. There's hope! Myself and my friends and family are all cheering Sarah on and pulling for her. :)
Sarah were there any symptoms that you can remember before the stroke? I mean did you have mini aphasic episodes that you look back on that perhaps you ignored? I ask because I know someone who had two mini aphasic episodes and he's choosing to ignore it (its fear i believe) and he's 22 years old.
@simplenametag Sarah didn't have any symptoms, she felt tired, but that's pretty common for any teenager going through exam revision! Some people do have headaches or problems with vision/speech, your friend really needs to be check out by his doctor to make sure there's not a serious underlying health issue. It's understandable if he's scared, I'm not sure where you are, but in the UK we have NHS Direct who we can call to ask for general medical advice, there might be something similar for you?
@simplenametag-your friends symptoms could be caused by a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or "mini stroke" in which the blood supply to broca's area in the brain is temporarily impeded producing aphasia. It could also be caused by seizures or migraines. However, this is not something your friend should ignore as TIAs are generally precursors to strokes. he should see his doctor. hope this helps!
I learned about aphasia in my psycholingustics classes and was really shocked by the lack of information available out there. Thank you so much for posting these videos and educating people like me on the realities of the affection.
@thisisemmah hello! Sarah has problems with other things as a result of the aphasia, not only speech. Understanding money is difficult as well as numbers, colours, reading and writing.
This means she needs help shopping, speaking on the phone, paying for things, sending texts - when you think about it, communication is pretty vital and affects all aspects of life.
Apart from that, making relationships and keeping friends is hard too.
Hi Sarah - it will be brilliant to meet you when you come to my University in a few weeks time. I'll be sure to think of some good questions to ask you about aphasia, it's such an interesting topic! All the best :)
@karlff7 Sarah is excited about meeting everyone at Derby! Your lecturer sounds cool - it's a great idea to bring your course alive, and I think it will help Sarah too :)
@outoforbit777 thank you for your comment. Sarah did some art in rehab, actually it was work with creating a glass dish, decorated with glass beads. It was amazing and very therapeutic!
@darki110 thanks for your comment, amazing to think that people in Germany are watching and commenting, YouTube is powerful and it's very encouraging for Sarah :) Best of luck with your studies.
I hope she does well, i know what its like to go through intense physio for basic functions, its so hard becauseyou could do it so easy before and then all of sudden it becomes impossible, it takes time to re-train. Best wishes :)
thekeythesecret666 1 week ago
My heart both broke and smiled at the same time, watching this video. I wanted to give her the biggest hug!
She is a beautiful young lady and I wish her well in her continued recovering and you (Sarah's Mum) in yours.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. It is inspiring.
Somanyhands 1 week ago
Studying Broca's Aphasia currently at uni, sad but fascinating to watch people like this, she truly is quite amazing and brave, just battling on. Would have been much easier just to not make a video like this. Thankyou for sharing and I hope she is doing well.
thepokey 2 weeks ago
Thank you! Can't help but to fall in love with her personality. Good luck in the future.
leocasados037 3 weeks ago
She is beautiful, and seems like a wonderful person :) I really do hope that she makes a good recovery :)
CasHillary 1 month ago
I'm a nursing student looking this video up for class. You're brave and beautiful for sharing this with the world and for people struggling with this condition.
bonafiedjay 1 month ago
6:33 ... powerful words ... Thank you, you've done the world a service with this video
fulishproductions 1 month ago
Thanks so much for posting this. Hugs
Walaya116 1 month ago
Thanks for this. I'm studying psychology and watching inspiring videos like this showing people with huge amount of power to overcome obstacles helps me get through tough exams!
MegaShaft007 1 month ago
Thank you so much for posting this!
12345678909876547449 1 month ago
Much creds to Sarah for showing us her progress, I hope I will do the same if I end up in a similar situation.
It could be due to her recovery process, but this seems a bit different from "classical" Brocas aphasia, she can talk with a relatively fast rhythm, on the other hand she seems to have some smaller comprehension problems, as well as alexia (inability to read), which is usually less pronounced with Brocas. Good luck to her!
thepts 2 months ago
I do hope she has been doing well in the last year :) gooood luck in the future :D and a very VERY Merry Christmas :D :D
Deadboy360 2 months ago
jesus sarah is so beautiful! holy smokes. I know she'll improve with all the hard work she's putting in. thank you so much for sharing this video.
wolfumz 2 months ago
@wolfumz thank you for taking the time to leave a comment :)
SymphUK 2 months ago
Thank you very much for posting this video, we are learning about Broca`s Aphasia in lecture and now I know I will never forget thanks to Sarah. I wish you all the best with her progress
Much love from Canada
claireabonner 2 months ago
@claireabonner good luck with your studies! Thank you :)
SymphUK 2 months ago
Thank you for sharing this video. I am studying Psychology and it is helping me further understand Broca's Aphasia.
stephhDROPnROLL 2 months ago
Thank you for the video sarah
youzap777 3 months ago
I would like to express my thanks to this beautiful young woman. I too had a stroke January 28, 2010. I lost all of my speech and hearing. I lost my right arm for 4 hours. My neurlogist had found a 2mm (3/4") PFO in my heart. I have had more strokes than one. The PFO had always been there, but I didn't know about it ( no one had). The MRI had revealed my brain was ridded with brain damage. After 2 years I can talk and hear. I believe that Sarah can recover just like me. Bless you Sarah!!
scubaboy10 3 months ago 11
@scubaboy10 thank you! Good luck with your recovery. I (Sarah's mum) also had a stroke at the end of November, and they found a PFO in my heart too - I am waiting for surgery.
SymphUK 2 months ago 2
Thank you for posting this video. I have learned something today from watching this video.
Ifoxye 4 months ago
being only 20, I'm sure this is incredibly difficult to go through and could not imagine it. I am in a biological psychology class doing a research paper, yet something that she would love to do like read the case studies she is unable to do. A tragedy and yet she is fighting so hard to get past this.
squiergear 4 months ago 3
@squiergear thank you for leaving a comment, we really appreciate it. And good luck with your research paper.
SymphUK 2 months ago
My god she is beautiful.
squiergear 4 months ago 10
@squiergear :)
SymphUK 2 months ago
Comment removed
itzazatica 4 months ago
Thank you for posting this Sarah. I am studying speech pathology and I learned a lot from you. Best of luck in everything!
itzazatica 4 months ago
Sarah fighting!
AtheistKharm 4 months ago
Is the hole in her heart due to the failure of the foraman ovale to close?
Krentzifier 4 months ago
@Krentzifier Yes, that' correct - but 25% of the population have a PFO. There was no clear evidence it was the cause of Sarah's stroke, but it's all they found.
SymphUK 4 months ago
i'm not making a joke; this is exactly what it is like being in a foreign country and having limited communication skills.
Dina4pres2 4 months ago
Thank you for the video.
Dzongka 5 months ago
It's incredible that although your sentences aren't necessarily grammatically "correct," your thoughts are coherent and you are able to isolate only the words that are relevant to what you're trying to say. I hope you are able to recover some of that ability!
leelxxsh 5 months ago
@leelxxsh thank you for your comment and good wishes :)
SymphUK 5 months ago
Who ever dislikes this is evil...
linked2swim 5 months ago
@linked2swim I would be willing to bet that the people who gave this a negative vote thought that she was faking it, and I only think that because she is doing alarmingly well. The first video i saw was the next one and when i saw it, knowing what brocas aphasia is and does, i expected her condition to be far worse and was surprised to see how well she was doing. i could be wrong but its just a thought.
oettgend 5 months ago
@oettgend if people think that they are wrong - there's another video of us on Breakfast TV in the UK on You Tube, I guess that would also verify that Sarah is genuine. People are entitled to their opinion though!
SymphUK 5 months ago
@linked2swim it's a free country I guess, if people want to vote it's up to them :)
SymphUK 5 months ago
Truly remarkable, both of you. I hope she (Or you if it's Sarah reading this :) ) are doing well. It's something I can't quite imagine but you seem to be dealing with it in the best way and hope you both keep smiling :)
DarthRockstar 5 months ago
@DarthRockstar thank you for your comment. Sarah has just gone on her first holiday away with her carer, but I read all the comments to her and she loves hearing them.
SymphUK 5 months ago
i was ina car accident two years ago and i suffered a double concussion.Shortly after i also had a stroke. For a long time now i never fully understood what was wrong in my head and doctors werent really helping they said id either get better or i wouldnt. I had ahard time collecting words i could spell them describe what they meant but i just couldnt make them come out. My aphasia isnt as bad anymore but it made me smile just a bit to see someone who would understand and my heart goes out toher
jesterkimi 5 months ago
@jesterkimi thanks for leaving a comment, it's good to hear that your aphasia has improved a lot. I think there's so much about the brain that is still not understood, but it's encouraging to hear about your progress :)
SymphUK 5 months ago
Wait, she had a stroke while reading during English class? D:
mickeymouse12678 5 months ago
@mickeymouse12678 yes, at school in Hertford England. Sarah was 4 months away from going to University.
SymphUK 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This certainly shows the seriousness of getting congenital cardiac defects identified and treated promptly! Venous emboli travelling to the brain is a terrible thing for anyone to experience, to say nothing of the young. If I may ask, at what age was her septal defect repaired?
LeDocJonesy 5 months ago
Comment removed
LeDocJonesy 5 months ago
Symph : This one is closer to home than I betray. Sarah's expression at 35 seconds as you explain her age is a familiar one. Your kindness and patience in the background is evident. Sometimes we can do more with kind words than all the physicians available to us. A young brain can repair and re-wire but the words just will not arrive sometimes. Sometimes I wish we had spare parts! I smile.
Troya.
TroyaE117 5 months ago 8
@TroyaE117 thank you so much for your encouraging words :)
SymphUK 5 months ago
@SymphUK I agree with Troya, my mom had a stroke nearly 3 months ago and I see that expression at :35 a lot. this is so encouraging for me to see. :) {HUGS}
BigHair80s 4 months ago
@BigHair80s What does that expression mean?
MissInformati0n 4 months ago
@TroyaE117 thank you for your comment - I think you obviously understand the challenges that we're facing. Good luck.
SymphUK 2 months ago
Sarah is an inspiration for me.
I'm in med school right now, looking forward to be a neurologist.
Her strength (and like hers, many others') make me feel that's what I want to do: diagnose, treat, help and support people by studying this amazing organ and its yet to be known ways of working.
You're doing great, Sarah. Keep fighting, for your force is our motor.
burningmatch09 5 months ago
@burningmatch09 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for your kind words. It's good to know that caring people like you are in med school!
SymphUK 5 months ago
She's so beautiful. Best of luck.
latinapeacechick 5 months ago
@latinapeacechick thanks for your good wishes x
SymphUK 5 months ago
you are an inspiration.
Sgivemeabreak 6 months ago
@Sgivemeabreak thank you for leaving a comment! It means a lot to Sarah and her family :)
SymphUK 5 months ago
I wish you the best! This is so difficult to look at. I am taking a Memory& Memory Improvement class and just learned about tons of things that can occur to memory and i can just imagine being in a situation like this.
Continue getting better! God Bless you! :)
MsHildita 6 months ago
@MsHildita thank you for leaving a comment. Sarah was lucky to retain most of her memory, it must be very difficult to have memory problems. All the best x
SymphUK 5 months ago
@MsHildita ,Very sad ,I was looking over a few videos doing research for a nursing school project and found Sarah's video, it was incredibly interesting and she holds much promise. I do hope she progresses and does well. God Bless.
Ed
CORPDOC921 5 months ago
@CORPDOC921 thank you Ed, we appreciate your comment.
SymphUK 5 months ago
Symph : Best wishes to both of you, anyway. That is quite a blow for an 18 year-old. Difficulty in word-finding must be very frustrating.
TroyaE117 6 months ago
@TroyaE117 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, it can be really frustrating - luckily Sarah still has a good sense of humour and that carries us through.
SymphUK 5 months ago
Hi Symph. Firstly this must be heartbreaking, terrible to see at such a young age. Just wondering, if she can't produce a sentence, could she write it down at a normal(ish) speed? Also, has her ability to do mathematics been affected at all? Thanks x
obone01 6 months ago
@obone01 it's an interesting question about the maths, Sarah seems to be able to do sums if they are written down. Her writing is neat, but she can't form full sentences - the little words like "in', 'if', 'at', which are meaningless words are very difficult.
SymphUK 5 months ago
Symph :
You are as brave as a Lion. Take that from me. And that is you typing in excellent English now. And your punctuation is very good. Very best wishes.
TroyaE117 6 months ago
@TroyaE117 Symph is me (Sarah's mum). I read all the comments with Sarah but she can't reply personally yet. She is trying to learn to write sentences again but it's very tough. Thanks for your comment though, it's appreciated :)
SymphUK 6 months ago 3
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ProdigalSon222 6 months ago
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ProdigalSon222 6 months ago
I was 13 when I had my stroke, also in school. It's not a nice experience. Hope the best for you Sarah. =]
acmoc 6 months ago
@acmoc Hope you are doing well now - thank you for leaving a comment!
SymphUK 6 months ago
hELLO sARAH I HAVE JUST NOTICED YOU VIDEO AND ITS GREAT YOU ARE HELPING RAISING AWARENESS WITH YOUR STORY CHECK OUT MY STORY AT MY 2 PART MOVIE CALLED "DRUMBEATSTROKE" I HAD MY STROKE AT 38YRS OLD[ I DUE TO A BRAIN HEM AND I WAS ONE MONTHG IN A COMA,I AM I AM TOTALLY PARALYSED ON MY LEFTSIDE MY VOICE CHANGE AND I CANT SWALLOW PROPERLYTOO I HAVE LOST MY PERIPERAL VISION AND I AM IN TREMENDOUS PAIN I CANT GOTO YHE TOILET EITHER IF YOU WANT TO CHAT PLS DO IF YOU NEED SUPPORT!
kynancecove 6 months ago
@kynancecove thanks for your message and sorry that you have been left with pain after your brain haemorrage. It sounds as if you are also doing a lot to raise awareness, so it's something positive to come out of a difficult situation. All the best.
SymphUK 6 months ago
It looks like she's doing relatively well. She must have had really good speech therapy. My thoughts go out to her and her family. A stroke at 18 is horrible for anyone, but she looks like she's pulling through like a champ.
ferretyluv 7 months ago
@ferretyluv thank you for your lovely comments. Speech therapy really helps a lot, Sarah is making some progress with her reading now, which is something that she really loved to do before her stroke.
SymphUK 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thank you yes it is hard.
greatmann1026 7 months ago
Does this involve brain damage?
gammerstang2009 7 months ago
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wcranners 7 months ago
@gammerstang2009 When Sarah suffered her stroke, the area in her brain called the Broca's Area, on the dominant left frontal lobe, lost its blood supply for long enough for the brain cells to die. This means that this area, which contains memories for fine motor command required for articulating words, was damaged and resulted in a Brocha's aphasia. People who suffer this condition often have less trouble saying content words (nouns, verbs etc), but huge trouble with function words (if, buts..)
wcranners 7 months ago
@wcranners your are right, the small meaningless words like 'to, if, but, am, go' etc. are very hard for Sarah, although naming things is much easier than it was in the early days after her stroke.
SymphUK 6 months ago
@gammerstang2009 yes, when someone has a stroke it usually destroys part of the brain - in this case, the part of the brain that controls language understanding and production. However, other parts of the brain can often take over those functions so therapy is very important.
SymphUK 6 months ago
I live in Portland Oregon, in USA. I just happened to find your video searching for Aphasia. I am very touched by what you experienced. I wish you the best in your recovery. You can do it! And you are very good at it! :)
mfregeau2 7 months ago
@mfregeau2 thank you for taking the time to leave a comment on Sarah's video and for being aware of aphasia!
SymphUK 6 months ago
you're doing very well Sarah! I wish you all the best!
LeComfortEagle 7 months ago
@LeComfortEagle thank you x
SymphUK 6 months ago
@LeComfortEagle thank you for leaving a comment and for your good wishes!
SymphUK 6 months ago
cute...how unfortunate.....what about this brain plasticity everyones on about these days?....is this able in some way to help her predicament?......
DasSchlyggen 7 months ago
@DasSchlyggen yes, younger people are said to have more brain plasticity, which means that often other parts of the brain can take over the functions that were lost. It's still a long slow progress and lots of hard work though!
SymphUK 6 months ago
Thanks for this.
gingerpeerless 8 months ago
@gingerpeerless thank you!
SymphUK 6 months ago
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textcavation 8 months ago
so she can learn and understand like she didn't lose her mind, but she only lost the ability so speak well? wow the brain is amaizing seems that it organizes separated sections for all the different tasks and abilities a human can do, the brain is just amaizingly complex!
EMC2Documentaries 8 months ago
@EMC2Documentaries yes, the brain really is incredible. It's only when you lose some brainpower due to illness that you recognise how fantastic an organ it is. There's still so much that is unknown about the brain - the truth is that people can continue recovery decades after suffering a brain injury.
SymphUK 6 months ago
@SymphUK
Yes you're right it's been 7 years since my stroke. Someone had to point out to me that I no longer dragged the tip of my left foot when I walk. I guess the body is in a constant state of repair. don't give up hope.
acmoc 6 months ago
I'm very interested in aphasia and I'm glad you posted this video. She's so brave and wonderful! All the best for her!
trendytrendytrend 8 months ago
@trendytrendytrend thank you so much for your lovely comment :)
SymphUK 6 months ago
When she dropped the camera it scared the shit out of me.
TweekDash 8 months ago
@TweekDash me too! I am not a video producer by any means lol
SymphUK 8 months ago
Watching this video now I can really hear how she's improved....she's fantastic. Lots of love Coralie xxxx
ilikebigtrees 8 months ago
@ilikebigtrees thank you xxx
SymphUK 8 months ago
this girl is real cute and she had a stroke that's shame I hope you fix your speech problem to the point where your able to talk to somebody again
charleyxbox360 8 months ago
such a pretty girl! sounds like you're practicing hard, keep it up!
daliks 8 months ago
god bless you hun! :) good luck
candycane0710 9 months ago
This video was shared during our cognitive psychology classes.. I get tears in my eyes every time I see this video but I keep coming back and hoping you're doing ok!!! All the best!
t3hstef 9 months ago
thank you for sharing sarah!!
4trivedi 9 months ago
Hi Sarah! Thank you for that video! It's really interesting!
I hope you will have good progress and as little problems with your heart and brain as possible.
But I have to say that when I saw you in this video, I thought that you are one of the most sympathic and loveable human beings I have seen on youtube so far. Don't stress yourself too much. You're cool!
People that react weirdly or not understandably towards an aphasia as you have it, are just to weak, ignorant or unknowing. Take care!
shifeili 9 months ago
Sarah, you are amazing.
eroica17 9 months ago
I have a very mild form of aphasia caused by a spinal infection I had when I was 14 which also affected some parts of my brain. I am so lucky I didn't get it this bad, but even so it is so frustrating. Typing is okay as long as I don't look at the keys. If for a moment I try to plan where my fingers go my mind just goes blank. People say I sound stupid, which is probably true, but I have just finished my first degree and am going on to study at Oxford next year. Appearences can be decieving!
SonicWings 9 months ago
Aphasia....Brad Choate
StareHamry 10 months ago
Thank you, Sarah for this video. I am a medical student in the US. We are learning about aphasia and this is so helpful. My brother had a stroke but his speech eventually came back slowly. I hope all is well in the UK. You are such a beautiful and strong young lady! Thanks again for this post!
Amenze 10 months ago
ummm u made me cry
blondieo80 10 months ago
Has your therapist mentioned touch-typing? A lot of the RSA course, in the early stages, is the same few keys over and over, while reading from a pad. Also, is speed-reading something you may find useful? Just pour it in and let your neurons work on it? You can always look back at the printed text for sense, later. Did you have favourite books you could use for this? Continuous text would give you no option but to absorb it, as is, and not rely on pictures or photographs for cues and meaning.
Folkmill 10 months ago
Thank you very much for sharing what must be a very personal issue. It's so very helpful when one can see on an actual person the physical and social manifestations of what would otherwise be a mere concept. I don't think I'll ever forget what Broca's aphasia is. I sincerely wish you the best.
lejeunesage 10 months ago
@lejeunesage thank you for leaving a comment, it means a lot to Sarah - and if it's helping people to understand aphasia that's great too!
SymphUK 10 months ago
a beautiful inspiring young girl.. God bless you Sarah!
ms6729 10 months ago
@ms6729 thank you for leaving a comment and for your blessings!
SymphUK 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this is really upsetting to watch :(
scrubs21 10 months ago
come across your video while preparing for the exam, your video helps me to differenciate wernicke's aphasia and borca's aphasia. thank you very much, and good luck
orlacrab 10 months ago
@orlacrab hope your exam went well - thank you!
SymphUK 10 months ago
Thank you for sharing this Sara--it's very selfless of you. I hope you are doing well and that you also continue to improve your speech.
Dachiakai 10 months ago
@Dachiakai thank you for your message, Sarah is continuing to improve but the progress is slower now.
SymphUK 10 months ago
Incredible set of videos. Are you thinking about making an updated version? This helps out alot of people studying & seeing patients with her condition. Question..........who 'dislikes' this video? They must be out of their minds? Thank you for posting this. All of my best!
AuggieX1 10 months ago
@AuggieX1 thanks for your lovely comment! Sarah is thinking of doing an update as it will be 2 years on Friday since her stroke. Maybe people 'dislike' it because it's a difficult or upsetting subject to watch.
SymphUK 10 months ago
Hi Sarah. Thank you for sharing your story. I also have a hole in my heart and had a stroke in July 2010. I lost my speech temporarily, but was fortunate that most of it returned, and the resulting aphasia is fairly mild. I've seen both your videos, and your speech is improving : ) I hope to see you post another video soon . . . You're a terrific inspiration : )
onepieceofgumleft 10 months ago
@onepieceofgumleft thank you (and we love your name!) It's good to hear that your problems were only temporary and that you feel better now. All the best.
SymphUK 10 months ago
@SymphUK Glad you like the name : ) ... My stroke was actually the inspiration. My nickname is Gum (when my nieces and nephews were little, they couldn't pronounce Graham, so Gum stuck (no pun intended) When I had my stroke, I felt like "one piece of Gum left"...but, there's lots of other pieces still remaining...just like I can tell, there's lots of amazing pieces that make up Sarah....and I know they're all still there too : )
onepieceofgumleft 10 months ago
She knows exactly what she's trying to say; this is an amazing condition to make a person not be able to express themself.
TheReenix 10 months ago
@TheReenix it is a difficult condition to live with, over a million people in the US and 250 thousand in the UK have aphasia and yet hardly anyone has heard of it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment :)
SymphUK 10 months ago
I found my patient to have the same aphasia but more babbled and baby-like. We got her a ct of the brain promptly and found a bleed. It had gone unnoticed for hours because the nurse prior to me thought the pt was having sundowners or dementia. Very scary. Very frustrating for the victim.
NurseJhonnaMS 10 months ago
@NurseJhonnaMS it's great that you managed to carry out a CT scan quickly and help your patient. Thank you for leaving a comment we really appreciate it :)
SymphUK 10 months ago
Wow, good for her, she is doing so good!
It is unfortunate she had to go through that stroke but she's
not giving up!! :D
kalpifidizzlelik 10 months ago
I think that you are a tremendous lady who deserves a round of applause! You keep going and live your dreams. You are worth the victory!!
wayofthedove 11 months ago
I love that his video is up because, like others have said, there really is a lake of information out there. I'm learning about lateralization and language in my upper level psychology class and find it tragic, although fascinating. This also helps me remember which is which with Broca's and Wernicke's!
nikki7517 11 months ago
Omg I feel so bad for her...does she feel frustrated that she can't get the words out? Is it similar to how when someone is trying to speak in a different language that they are learning or does her brain process the information as it should but she simply can't say the words? So many questions...reading about it does not do this aphasia justice!
cubano07x 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
God Bless Sarah and all aphasics in the world... cause...despite the accident, they are still are what they truly are.... lovely human beings :)
prankstare 11 months ago
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prankstare 11 months ago
For being filmed about a year after she had her stroke, I think she speaks very well. It could have been a whole lot worse.
FrancoLHU 11 months ago
I get the same kind of symptoms after having an epileptic seizure, it's very frustrating even though it only lasts around 20mins.
nriab23 11 months ago
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm going to be showing this video in my graded Psychology seminar about brain structure and language. You are an inspiration and I hope the future holds nothing but good things for you.
Starbug88 11 months ago
Woo, I hope Sarah is doing better daily, & communicating is getting easier for her. I'm 27 & have aphasia symptoms from FMS, I hope to see a neuro too so they can diagnos it, I notice it more because I really need to use my brain for my physics degree! I am still doing well considering so it's not all doom & gloom for people with aphasia. I hope everyone is ok!
ragegrrl 11 months ago
I'm very proud of you!!!!!! I had a stroke when I was 14 now I'm 21 and I'm college. God bless you!!
Abrocrombie2012 11 months ago 22
@Abrocrombie2012 it's great to hear about people like you who've gone on to college after suffering a stroke. You must have had a tough time recovering, but it's very inspirational - thanks for leaving a comment :)
SymphUK 11 months ago
@Abrocrombie2012 Nice! Hope u will do well in college!!!!!!!!!!!
Coolge325 11 months ago
God Bless, Sarah:
I hope that your recovery is 150%. I haven't gone through what you have, but my mother did and had the exact same symptons. It took a long time for her to even get back to a normal conversation, as she used to be a "real" talker. We cried and cried whenever she broke down after having difficulty.
By posting this video, you'v given me a chance to show others how to understand the effects.
My God keep you safe and bless you with more than you can imagine.
Cheers!
kahtik 1 year ago
God Bless, Sarah:
I hope that your recovery is 150%. I haven't gone through what you have, but my mother did and had the exact same symptons. It took a long time for her to even get back to a normal conversation, as she used to be a "real" talker. We cried and cried whenever she broke down after having difficulty.
By posting this video, you'v given me a chance to show others how to understand the effects.
My God keep you safe and bless you with more than you can imagine.
Cheers!
kahtik 1 year ago
Hello sarah its Ryan again. im just so amazed at your attitude towards your stroke. You have had such a impression on me. Keep up the good work. I would also like to say thank you again to your mom. If i wasnt for her we wouldnt be able to see how wonderful you are. Thank you so much mom. I wish the whole world was filled with people like you...then it would be such a better place
RyanS6759 1 year ago
@RyanS6759 thanks Ryan! Stroke affects the whole family, it's a life-changing event really.
SymphUK 1 year ago
Please let Sarah know that I had a stroke in April 2009 and also have Broca's aphasia. Like Sarah, it severely impacted my abilities to speak, write, and read. After a great deal of patience and effort things slowly improved. While I still have days where I struggle to communicate, I published my first novel in February and my second is coming out in May. There's hope! Myself and my friends and family are all cheering Sarah on and pulling for her. :)
jeffreypiercebooks 1 year ago
@jeffreypiercebooks thank you! I had a look at your website and it's fantastic to see how well you are doing :)
SymphUK 1 year ago
Sarah were there any symptoms that you can remember before the stroke? I mean did you have mini aphasic episodes that you look back on that perhaps you ignored? I ask because I know someone who had two mini aphasic episodes and he's choosing to ignore it (its fear i believe) and he's 22 years old.
simplenametag 1 year ago
@simplenametag Sarah didn't have any symptoms, she felt tired, but that's pretty common for any teenager going through exam revision! Some people do have headaches or problems with vision/speech, your friend really needs to be check out by his doctor to make sure there's not a serious underlying health issue. It's understandable if he's scared, I'm not sure where you are, but in the UK we have NHS Direct who we can call to ask for general medical advice, there might be something similar for you?
SymphUK 1 year ago
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aggiejman7 11 months ago
@simplenametag-your friends symptoms could be caused by a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or "mini stroke" in which the blood supply to broca's area in the brain is temporarily impeded producing aphasia. It could also be caused by seizures or migraines. However, this is not something your friend should ignore as TIAs are generally precursors to strokes. he should see his doctor. hope this helps!
aggiejman7 11 months ago
thankyou so much your answer helped alot! <3
thisisemmah 1 year ago
It's a really heartbreaking situation.
I learned about aphasia in my psycholingustics classes and was really shocked by the lack of information available out there. Thank you so much for posting these videos and educating people like me on the realities of the affection.
Sarah I can't say how much I admire you! :)
Faythalie 1 year ago
@Faythalie thank you for your lovely comment - Sarah loves hearing about the comments here!
SymphUK 1 year ago
Hi guys
I am doing a school assignment on aphasia and I was wondering if you could help me with one of the questions..
I was wondering if you could tell me some of the daily living difficulties you have and the assistance you need each day
I would really appreciate your help because I have only found limited information online
Thankyou
X
thisisemmah 1 year ago
@thisisemmah hello! Sarah has problems with other things as a result of the aphasia, not only speech. Understanding money is difficult as well as numbers, colours, reading and writing.
This means she needs help shopping, speaking on the phone, paying for things, sending texts - when you think about it, communication is pretty vital and affects all aspects of life.
Apart from that, making relationships and keeping friends is hard too.
Hope that helps!
SymphUK 1 year ago
I am completely in awe of your bravery for sharing your feelings with the world. Love from the United States.
lowbrasshoney 1 year ago
@lowbrasshoney thanks for watching, and for the lovely comment!
SymphUK 1 year ago
Hi Sarah - it will be brilliant to meet you when you come to my University in a few weeks time. I'll be sure to think of some good questions to ask you about aphasia, it's such an interesting topic! All the best :)
karlff7 1 year ago
@karlff7 Sarah is excited about meeting everyone at Derby! Your lecturer sounds cool - it's a great idea to bring your course alive, and I think it will help Sarah too :)
SymphUK 1 year ago
Sarah, you are a gifted human being. Do art, paint and show us a glimpse of your world. I'm sure it would be fantastic.
outoforbit777 1 year ago
@outoforbit777 thank you for your comment. Sarah did some art in rehab, actually it was work with creating a glass dish, decorated with glass beads. It was amazing and very therapeutic!
SymphUK 1 year ago
Sarah, I am studying Functional Neurology and this video helped me grasp what this condition is. Best wishes to you. All of my best.
AuggieX1 1 year ago
@AuggieX1 thank you for leaving a comment - and good luck with your studies!
SymphUK 1 year ago
Hi Sarah, I am a german medical student and your video really helped me understanding aphasia. Thank you for sharing.
darki110 1 year ago
@darki110 thanks for your comment, amazing to think that people in Germany are watching and commenting, YouTube is powerful and it's very encouraging for Sarah :) Best of luck with your studies.
SymphUK 1 year ago
thank you sara from a future doctor in medical school in the USA. your bravery helps more people then you think!
as8651 1 year ago
@as8651 thank you for your lovely comment :)
SymphUK 1 year ago