This blog was created to document our experience dealing with Bailey, our 16 year old daughter's stroke. Until September 15th, she was a perfectly healthy, active teenage girl. She is a junior in high school this year. She has a part time job, many friends and a busy social life. She is involved with the marching band, cross country skiing and the school theater group. Her class schedule reads like that of my nightmares - Honors classes, Advanced placement classes and even a "college in school" physics class. She has a smile that shows itself with the slightest of provocation. She is happy, easy going and a bit goofy. Generally, there was no reason to expect any health issues and definitely we would not ever have even thought a stroke was a possibility.

So, this is our story. I am hoping it will help others who experience this sort of misfortune to understand they are not alone. Maybe they are feeling the way we do and will take some comfort our story.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The kindness of others

While my daughter having a stroke may be a devastating event in our lives I have every reason to believe that with time she will be fine. In recent years I have had brief moments of emotional devastation on a daily basis in the form of an overall lack of common courtesy and general consideration that people in public give to each other. It seems like the whole world has become caught up in their own little lives and no longer notices or cares about the people around them. We (I, even though I try not to, have been guilty of this at times) go through our lives talking on our phones, reading emails or checking text messages and just don't notice anything outside our LCD screens. This lack of awareness makes simple everyday interaction with others painful and confusing. People are rude, inconsiderate, impatient and just don't seem to hold themselves accountable for their actions.

There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about what is happening. I have worried for several years that humanity as a whole was going downhill. I often wonder if people ever even think about the strangers they pass on a daily basis. What will life be like for my children's children if this doesn't change? Will all social skills simply become extinct?

Well, while I still worry about these things I have recently, due entirely to my daughters stroke, had the opportunity to witness humanity at its finest. Kindness, generosity, and well wishes seem to be coming out of the woodwork. We have had more friends, family, acquaintances and complete strangers reach out to our family then I would have ever thought possible. I can't even express how much this has done to lesson my worries. It is wonderful to know that there are so many caring people in our lives and in our community. It is terrific.

So, to those of you have reached out to our family - Thank you. You have not only helped to lesson our stress regarding Bailey's stroke, you have also helped to lesson my cynicism towards mankind as a whole and this is no small feat.
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1 comment:

  1. MonikaMarch 18, 2013 at 7:13 AM

    Hello.
    We are Speech and Language Therapists doing a Master’s degree at City University London. We are contacting you because we wish to analyse your blog in our Master’s research theses. The name of the project is Blog talk: the impact of aphasia on people’s lives.
    Please look at the information we have sent you on:
    http://blogs.city.ac.uk/blogtalk/information-sheet-2/
    Please let us know what you think.
    We look forward to hearing from you.
    Monika

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