Sarah, This is truly amazing that you posted these video's on your continued progress. As a Clinician, this helps me to better understand this complex condition. I am sorry that you had a stroke at such a young age. However, you appear to be making excellent progress in your healing. Thank you for keeping all of us posted on your progress. These video's help more than words can express. My best to you! A Doctor from Chicago, IL-- United States
Medical Student here. Thank you so much for making this video. It has really helped me understand how stroke can affect its' victims! You are so inspiring!
Sarah, thanks for your update. I'm a 3rd year med student in the U.S. and your videos have really helped me understand Broca's vs. Wernicke's aphasia and the risk with heart defects. The fact that you're young makes your videos very relatable. Keep spreading the word Sarah, you ARE making a difference :) It's wonderful to see your update and I'm glad someone enjoys cider as much as me!
Hi Sarah- I'm an Anatomy & Physiology professor in Massachusetts and have come across your videos in preparing work for my classes. In your first video you appear to be saying that you had an atrial septal defect that lead to the stroke you had. I was moved to tears because I had the same situation occur. At 15, I suffered a stroke that affected my medulla and caused problems with swallowing. I love seeing these follow-up videos to see your progress, Great job!
I don't know what else i can say here that hasn't already been expressed in these comments. But I'm glad this was recommended to me. You are indeed inspiring and I hope 10 years on now, you are happy.
Hi Sarah, I am one of the classmates mentioned in bsterniczuk's comment below! We have been educated, humbled, and inspired by your journey. Congrats on all your progress and all best wishes for your future.
Doing some study for an upcoming speech path exam and found the videos about Sarah and it's amazing to see the amazing progress she's making! Plasticity of the brain is incredible! Good luck to her.
Our daughter showed us the video with you Sarah, very touching but, our son who suffered a stroke @ 28 was probably not ready to understand your video so soon after suffering. I just showed him now, it is now 9 months post stroke. he cannot understand speech so, would not watch. he understands closed caption, I hope to help give him more hope one day only if he could watch your amazing, and hopeful progress via closed caption. You are amazing, keep up the good work..we have the long road as well
I also had a Broca stroke (in Oct. of 2011) and Had speech therapy in 2012. Last month (Jan., 2012) had a seizure. I've already prayed for Sarah. Keep up your positive attitude! The Lord bless You!
Thanks so much for sharing these video's - I'm currently a second year physio student. Watching these video's of Sarah has really helped me to understand Broca's Aphasia.
Thanks for posting these most interesting progress reports. It brings back so many memories for me. My daughter had a huge stroke at age 19, in 1995. She has not recovered nearly as much speech as Sarah. Sarah is a beautiful girl, and is doing such a good thing in putting a face to the mysteries of stroke and aphasia. She reminds me so much of my daughter, uses similar gestures in trying to communicate. I hope she'll continue her amazing progress!
Sarah, I'm so pleased about your progress. I saw your videos in January 2012, since then, I've followed your progress. I also had a massive stroke 15 months ago and I'm suffering from aphasia. For 4 months I could only speak single words, I couldn't read or write at all. I didn't know people's names including my family (kids, wife). One thing that helped, is texting on my cell phone. I started writing one short sentence at a time. Face to face, I can now handle conversations very well.
Broca's aphasia is a neurological disorder that affects speech, language development and processing. I think it's wonderful that you are trying to bring awareness to others. It helps others to understand. Thank you for sharing and keep moving forward.
Sarah, I am a woman in Arkansas watching your videos this morning. How beautiful you are.....inside and out!!!! Most importantly though, you are inspirational. I have no doubt of your full recovery. Especially with such a caring mother. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.(I have 3 daughters of my own)
Hi Sarah. I'm studying psychology in Australia and I watched your video. I would just like you to know you are truly an inspiration, and you are just amazing. Upon hearing what had happened, I was extremely upset, but you are so strong, I can't believe how you do it! I would love to keep in contact through facebook or anything. My grandma suffered a stroke recently, I hope I can show her your video. You are a hero. And you've been through so much but I truly look up to you. Thank you so much.
Her flow and syntax recovery is remarkable. I study cortical plasticity at McGill University in Montreal. Has she has any functional MRI or pet scanning at the time of the stroke and now? With such amazing progress, you would expect to see growth of the inferior frontal gyrus, in some cases these areas have even jumped to other regions.
Hi Sarah! My father had a stroke almost a year ago now! I watched your videos to learn more about them and to see the progress,I must say,you are doing fantastic Welldone:') Ben
Hi Sarah, I was watching the television the other night because I was told that my workplace (Richard Hale) was going to be on it, when I noticed you were actually filmed outside of my office! Your story is an incredible and I've watched all of your update videos and you've come a far way and it's great to see how well you've done coping and improving. You're the same age as me, and seeing that it happened at the school I work at is a real eye opener to me. Good luck to everything in the future!
Sarah, Thank you for keeping us updated on your progress with the video's. I am Functional Neurologist and it is a great learning experience to watch your videos to understand what Broca's 'is' and how it can be helped. Your video's are an inspiration to many who watch. Keep up the progress because you have helped MANY people have a better understanding on this confusing condition. My best to you!
Hi Sarah, I'm studying language and the brain in my linguistics class at the moment and we've been learning about Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia. It's a fascinating subject, I came across your videos and you have made amazing progress these last 3 years since your stroke, I'm really impressed and pleased for you! :-)
Hi Sarah, first of all i want to thank you for your bravery to report your dissease but also your treatment. Am a Dutch psychology student, am very intrested in neurological problems and you gave me a great insight in how Broca's aphasia works. I hope the best for you, and that you may recover even more then you already did! Just wanted to write this down to let you know you help alot of people with this. My teaches already used the first one in class in front of 200 students.
Hi Sara, I am inspired by your courage to continue to thrive. My mother had a stroke recently and suffers from aphasia. I have a better understanding of her struggles since you shared your achievements and progress. Thank you.
Hi Sarah! I'm Peter, 22 years old from Israel. I wanted to say that I've watched all of your videos and I have to say that you're amazing! You have made a tremendous progress down the years and it has been a pleasure to notice it throughout the videos. But that aside, it's lovely to see you smile more and more and getting excited about different things plus that it also shows in your face expression which indicates how alive of person you are, so I wish you all the best and I believe in you! :)
HI, My Psychology professor introduced us to you. The progress you are making is AMAZING! I wish I could help in any way. You seem like a very sweet girl, and your mom is the best! I hope your future is great! Have a happy life!
Wow! Sarah your doing terrific. Strokes run in my family. My mom and grandmother both had them. My husband had a stroke at 46 and was left with aphasia and couldnt speak. It's like being trapped in your body and knowing what you want but can't express it. It was like playing charades with my husband. I worry about having a stroke myself and changing my diet. Keep up the great work. Oxox from Texas.
Sarah, I had a stroke in February of this year. My stroke also affected the language section of my brain so your collection of videos really resonated with me. My stroke affected my speech for only a short time but sometimes I have to search harder for words than I used to. I am encouraged and amazed by your perseverance and patience. It is so inspiring to hear your story. Thank you for being willing to share it. God bless you.
it's amazing from the first video, how many words she can use, and how much less she has had to write down the words! I understand from this she has a ways to go, but she really has come a long way!!
Hi! I was just curious about aphasia so i watched a couple of your videos and now i have a much better understanding. I always wanted to donate to a charity and i think one concerning aphasia is perfect to choose. Thanks for posting, i think Sarah is awesome!
Wowww!!!! I really admire you Sarah and your mom for your courage and perseverance in order to recover from the stroke...My name is Diana,.I'm from Mexico and I'm a teacher of English. I want to learn more about language issues and I found your video. Thank you so much for sharing and thank you because people like you and your mom encourage other people not to give up but to be patient and fight against any problem or situation :) Hope to see you in other video :)
AMAZING Just went from First Video to this and UNBELIEVABLE! THANK GOD for that progress. I can't tell You how motivating this will be in Recovery! Just endured this exact thing at 40. Cheers for the Upload!
Hi Sarah (And Mom!) Thank you for sharing these videos. I am a language teacher and show your videos to my students. Needless to say you inspire them, and interestingly, teach them quite a lot of English! :)
I am pleasantly surprised to see the amount of progress since the last video. Far better than I anticipated. But I can see the amount of effort going on underneath still but she has done very well. All the best in the future.
Sarah and Mum, you guys are awesome! Sarah, good on you--you have made such amazing progress. You are so strong! Many wishes for continued progress from California. :)
Hello Sarah and Mom You two are inspirational. My wife had a similar stroke at 48 effecting her communication. She has worked so hard.Its like Sarah says in the video it is such a cruel injury because its so difficult for her to comprehend how she could look just the same but be so different.I think fighting the saddness is the hardest.Sarah is so inspiring her videos actually show that people can get better. I would like to know more about the TMS and whether you think it has helped.KEEP IT UP
she is so inspiring and positive! doing a school project and broca's aphasia and your videos have helped me so much to understand it more in depth. thank you so much!
I am so happy to see the progress of this remarkable young woman.Thank you for educating on stroke and aphasia.I had a stoke about four years ago when I was forty.I am working at educating about stroke and aphasia as well. I'm fortunate that my speech center was not really affected,but I've met several aphasiacs in my stroke support group and I've learned a lot about their challenges.Thank you,thank you,thank you,I am so inspired by you!
Sarah. I admire your courage and hard work and willingness to be open about your condition. I have Bipolar Disorder, a different kind of 'hidden' disability, and I can relate to some of what you are going through and the need to raise awareness. Keep it up!!
In 2006, I had a stroke, with Broca's Aphasia. I'm 50. I want to say how inspirational this video! You keep doing -- speech therapy, Occupational Therapy, whatever--and I'm sure you're going far!
My dad had a stroke earlier this year and suffers from Aphasia. I think you are such an inspiration for putting yourself out there and raising awareness to this terrible side affect from having a stroke. You are so beautiful Sarah! I am so glad that you continue to make progress each day. Thank you so very much for sharing your story.
I think you and your daughter have done a great job of raising awareness for aphasia and stroke with these videos. Thanks a lot and best of luck to you both :D
As a student nurse your experience has given me an insight to how aphasia affects the individual person. It is amazing to watch your journey and progression with this condition. I want to thank you and wish you all the best with your recovery!!
Hi Sarah and Joanie, I was recently tasked with watching Sarah's first video for a linguistics class I'm in. I was blown away by her positive attitude and her courage to put herself in front of the camera for the purpose of raising awareness about strokes and helping people learn about aphasia. I have since watched all the videos and the improvement over time is very evident. I just wanted to say thanks for your videos and you both seem like awesome people, keep up the good work.
I am glad to hear this - it would suggest she was stable at that time and with much better prognosis. In clinical practice a stroke should be diagnosed as soon as possible, to rule out intracranial hemorrhage and in order to be fast enough to save the affected brain area. This is why on suspicion of stroke we always go immediately to CT. Thank you for your fast response and for posting this video, I wish you and Sarah all the best.
I was brought here by The Undateables and have just watched all of your videos. Your progress is incredible and I just want to wish you all the best with your recovery and the awareness you and your mum are raising!
I too watched the Undateables last night. I think it's great that you both are raising awareness of strokes, and particularly in young people. I personally had no idea how many young people can be affected by strokes. To see your amazing recovery over time is fantastic. I wish you all the very best in the future with your recovery and I hope that you find happiness and live the life you hoped for.
Being around the same age as you, I can't imagine what you must go through every day. Your progress is absolutely astonishing. I wish you all the best in life, you sure do deserve it. PS: Seeing that beautiful face light up made my day. Your fan from Germany
Wow, it is incredible how your speech has improved. I am familiar with the neurological cause of Broca's aphasia, and so I know that this is improvement is because of how hard you've worked. Way to go, Sarah. It's amazing what you have achieved.
both motivational and inspirational. i hope her video's and her cause has been as therapeutic for her as it has for others. ironically, her words bring about great insight into a client's perspective. thanks sarah! you rock!
Dear Sarah. I see your first video and now after years i see this video. Wow respekt . I wish i have so much power like you. You are a strong powerful lady . Be yourself . I wish you all love from the world. Greetings from germany,chriss . Ps. Sorry for my bad english.
Could you talk more about your plan, as in career wise and hobbies that you have picked up or continued since your stroke in your next video. It brings a smile to my face when I see your eyes light up when your mom asks you a question about something you feel you can talk about with ease. I hope you continue to work at getting better and I hope the advancements in medical science catch up for you and your loved ones.
Hi Sara I listened to you on three counties radio earlier this week my heart go s out to you and your family its Remarkable how you have picked yourself up and are fighting back to health brave girl wish you well and will be following your vids god bless Sarah xxl
Sarah you are doing wonderfully and are a great resource for students around the globe to learn and understand the practical complications of strokes and brain injuries in general. I'm sure you didn't set out to do so, but sharing your time with us is so inspirational for people such as myself that want to get into the medical profession. Thank you Sarah and Mum both for providing us with these glimpses into your amazing life and story.
I learned of Wernicke's and Broca's aphasia in my psychology class and wanted to see real life examples of cases and so I stumbled on Sarah's videos. She has made astonishing progress with her recovery. Good for her. She seems to be a very bright girl and you have done such a good job of supporting her that I am sure she will one day be able to return to pursuing her academic goals. - Best of wishes
I'm currently a medical student in the U.S. and was having trouble grasping the concept of Broca's aphasia and how a patient would present, so naturally I looked it up on youtube. :) I ran across your series of videos and am blown away by your progress, your charisma, and your drive for stroke awareness. I wanted to say thank you, for letting the social media have this personal insight into your life living with aphasia. You have enabled me to learn and (hopefully) become a better physician. :D
I'm also a medical student in the US and have been watching your videos since the first one. Great to see you spending so much time raising awareness. You are truly inspiring! Keep it up and keep us updated on what you have been doing.
Wow! I've seen you make such huge improvements over the last 2 years! You are sooooo strong, and truly an angel for sharing your condition. I have shown your videos to many of my fellow nursing students, and have done what I can to spread awareness. Thank you so much, keep up the GREAT work, and G*d bless! Mike - Miami
Hi Sarah and Joanie! I'd just like to say well done on all the progress made so far! I think it's fantastic that you are not only working on Sarah's recovery, but all your work in awareness building and fundraising are truly inspirational! :) All the best for the future, I will be keeping an eye on youtube to look out for news from you :)
Hello Sarah and Joanie, We watched three of your videos for our Neuropsychology class and I just wanted to mention that we were all touched by your story. The progress you have made in your speech production is quite impressive! You've gone from struggling with a few words to being able to string full sentences! I also want to commend you on your bravery, not many people would be willing to be featured on as many videos as you have if they had similar speech difficulties. Keep going :D, cheers!
I'm sure you've had a lot of comments made since you appeared on a certain "Channel 4" show. If nothing else you've made many more people aware of Aphasia and strokes in young people. I had a friend who had multiple brain tumours removed and was left with aphasia. Looking from your first to last video's on youtube you have come a long way and you are an inspiration to everyone. I'm sure at times it can get you down and you can be frustated but anyone else would be the same. Best wishes
Love this girl! She is so strong. Also a great example for people out there who worry about the trivial things in life. :) Much respect, keep going Luv!
One thing that amazes me is the complete absence of obvious frustration. If she is frustrated, it certainly doesn't show. And that doesn't seem to be something that she worked on. On the first video, she already showed the same calm and patience. Judging by the incredible progress she is making, I have no doubt that her impaired speech isn't gonna be a burden for long. Tons of positive thoughts and wishes from me!
thank you for posting this update, I've been wondering about Sarah recently. She's made so much progress this last year! Her vocabulary seems leaps and bounds ahead, she's speaking longer sentences, her voice has more of a lyrical quality to it. Very impressive. Sarah's hard work and cheerful attitude are inspiring to say the least. She's looking as cute as ever, too. Thanks again for posting!
I remember watching this when it first came on Reddit about a year back. It's incredible looking at the progression over such a short time, I was also taken aback to get the next update whilst watching national TV. I really wish you all the best for the future.
Hi Mrs Scott I would just like to say how beautiful your daughter is and the fact that she struggles to find her words sometimes just makes her all that more attractive and cute!
Sarah, you are a truly amazing woman. Keep at it, fight through the frustration, and continue to spread the word about Aphasia and Stroke. You can do it, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. -Ryan
I'm a Psychology student and came across about your case when I was studying for my module on Cognitive Neuroscience and Biological Psychology. Its really inspiring to see how you got a stroke at such a young age and yet managed to keep such a positive attitude and now making a change in other people's life. :) Great to see all the improvements you have made across those years. Keep it up and all the best as your journey continues! :) Hope to get more updates from time to time. :)
Great job on your progress Sarah! I'm sure you're an inspiration to more people than you'll ever know. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing future updates.
Your progress is utterly inspiring, and the work you are doing to raise awareness is brilliant. Wishing you both all the very best for the future. Alex xx
Hi Sarah your doing great. Several years ago I worked for an acupuncturist and a care agency. A man had suffered a stroke after dye had been injected into him. His motor and speech where as if in slow motion. He was really difficult to understand and he found it exhausting to speak. I witness throat acupuncture. Sounds bad but the result was amazing. The needle was left in for 20 minutes and then removed.He never shut up for 2 days.
I was advised to watch Sarah's first video for my linguistics class last week, and I've been watching all of your videos since then. I think Sarah's a fighter and I wish her all the best from the Netherlands!
sarah, i was so excited to see you on C4 the other night! i started following your youtube videos years ago when i first decided to train as a speech and language therapist, and now i'm approaching qualification - so thanks for being an inspiration! i wish you all the very best.
Pretty amazing transformation. The first time I watched these videos I was surprised about the age of Sarah at the time of her stroke. Keep up the videos! I wish you the best. God bless. xx
thank you for the video! Since I'm taking an English class at University and have to know a bit about Broca's aphasia, this video was very helpful and interesting to watch.
Hiya Sarah thanks for replying hope you keep putting your videos up on you tube my name is Alan and I live in Dunstable I'm 57 I also have health problems ie Heart Disease and Vascular disease I'm also on blood thinking tablets to stop blood clots and also lost my hgv licence as I was a truck driver for over 30 yrs a job I loved what I'm trying to say is your a very bright young lady don't give up you have so much going for you a lovely family there you just take each day as it come Sarah xx
Sarah,
This is truly amazing that you posted these video's on your continued progress. As a Clinician, this helps me to better understand this complex condition. I am sorry that you had
a stroke at such a young age. However, you appear to be making excellent progress in your healing.
Thank you for keeping all of us posted on your progress. These video's help more than words can express.
My best to you!
A Doctor from Chicago, IL-- United States
Medical Student here. Thank you so much for making this video. It has really helped me understand how stroke can affect its' victims! You are so inspiring!
This girl is SO inspiring
She's beautiful all she's needs is love
She don't need u to tell her who she is
Sarah, thanks for your update. I'm a 3rd year med student in the U.S. and your videos have really helped me understand Broca's vs. Wernicke's aphasia and the risk with heart defects. The fact that you're young makes your videos very relatable. Keep spreading the word Sarah, you ARE making a difference :) It's wonderful to see your update and I'm glad someone enjoys cider as much as me!
Hi Sarah-
I'm an Anatomy & Physiology professor in Massachusetts and have come across your videos in preparing work for my classes. In your first video you appear to be saying that you had an atrial septal defect that lead to the stroke you had. I was moved to tears because I had the same situation occur. At 15, I suffered a stroke that affected my medulla and caused problems with swallowing. I love seeing these follow-up videos to see your progress, Great job!
I don't know what else i can say here that hasn't already been expressed in these comments. But I'm glad this was recommended to me. You are indeed inspiring and I hope 10 years on now, you are happy.
Hi Sarah, I am one of the classmates mentioned in bsterniczuk's comment below! We have been educated, humbled, and inspired by your journey. Congrats on all your progress and all best wishes for your future.
Doing some study for an upcoming speech path exam and found the videos about Sarah and it's amazing to see the amazing progress she's making! Plasticity of the brain is incredible! Good luck to her.
Our daughter showed us the video with you Sarah, very touching but, our son who suffered a stroke @ 28 was probably not ready to understand your video so soon after suffering. I just showed him now, it is now 9 months post stroke. he cannot understand speech so, would not watch. he understands closed caption, I hope to help give him more hope one day only if he could watch your amazing, and hopeful progress via closed caption. You are amazing, keep up the good work..we have the long road as well
I also had a Broca stroke (in Oct. of 2011) and Had speech therapy in 2012. Last month (Jan., 2012) had a seizure. I've already prayed for Sarah. Keep up your positive attitude! The Lord bless You!
I don't even know how to begin. It's so impressive for someone young to not quit the fight and continue on with their life. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for sharing these video's - I'm currently a second year physio student. Watching these video's of Sarah has really helped me to understand Broca's Aphasia.
Thanks for posting these most interesting progress reports. It brings back so many memories for me. My daughter had a huge stroke at age 19, in 1995. She has not recovered nearly as much speech as Sarah. Sarah is a beautiful girl, and is doing such a good thing in putting a face to the mysteries of stroke and aphasia. She reminds me so much of my daughter, uses similar gestures in trying to communicate. I hope she'll continue her amazing progress!
Sarah, I'm so pleased about your progress. I saw your videos in January 2012, since then, I've followed your progress. I also had a massive stroke 15 months ago and I'm suffering from aphasia. For 4 months I could only speak single words, I couldn't read or write at all. I didn't know people's names including my family (kids, wife). One thing that helped, is texting on my cell phone. I started writing one short sentence at a time.
Face to face, I can now handle conversations very well.
Best wishes from Canada! You guys seem like wonderful people, keep up the progress!
Broca's aphasia is a neurological disorder that affects speech, language development and processing. I think it's wonderful that you are trying to bring awareness to others. It helps others to understand. Thank you for sharing and keep moving forward.
Sarah, I am a woman in Arkansas watching your videos this morning. How beautiful you are.....inside and out!!!! Most importantly though, you are inspirational. I have no doubt of your full recovery. Especially with such a caring mother. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.(I have 3 daughters of my own)
Hi Sarah. I'm studying psychology in Australia and I watched your video. I would just like you to know you are truly an inspiration, and you are just amazing. Upon hearing what had happened, I was extremely upset, but you are so strong, I can't believe how you do it! I would love to keep in contact through facebook or anything. My grandma suffered a stroke recently, I hope I can show her your video.
You are a hero. And you've been through so much but I truly look up to you. Thank you so much.
Her flow and syntax recovery is remarkable. I study cortical plasticity at McGill University in Montreal. Has she has any functional MRI or pet scanning at the time of the stroke and now? With such amazing progress, you would expect to see growth of the inferior frontal gyrus, in some cases these areas have even jumped to other regions.
Hi Sarah!
My father had a stroke almost a year ago now! I watched your videos to learn more about them and to see the progress,I must say,you are doing fantastic Welldone:')
Ben
Hi Sarah, I was watching the television the other night because I was told that my workplace (Richard Hale) was going to be on it, when I noticed you were actually filmed outside of my office! Your story is an incredible and I've watched all of your update videos and you've come a far way and it's great to see how well you've done coping and improving. You're the same age as me, and seeing that it happened at the school I work at is a real eye opener to me.
Good luck to everything in the future!
Sarah,
Thank you for keeping us updated on your progress with the video's. I am Functional Neurologist and it is a great learning experience to watch your videos to understand what Broca's 'is' and how it can be helped. Your video's are an inspiration to many who watch. Keep up the progress because you have helped MANY people have a better understanding on this confusing condition. My best to you!
Hi Sarah,
I'm studying language and the brain in my linguistics class at the moment and we've been learning about Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia. It's a fascinating subject, I came across your videos and you have made amazing progress these last 3 years since your stroke, I'm really impressed and pleased for you! :-)
Hi Sarah, first of all i want to thank you for your bravery to report your dissease but also your treatment. Am a Dutch psychology student, am very intrested in neurological problems and you gave me a great insight in how Broca's aphasia works.
I hope the best for you, and that you may recover even more then you already did! Just wanted to write this down to let you know you help alot of people with this. My teaches already used the first one in class in front of 200 students.
Hi Sara, I am inspired by your courage to continue to thrive. My mother had a stroke recently and suffers from aphasia. I have a better understanding of her struggles since you shared your achievements and progress. Thank you.
Hi Sarah! I'm Peter, 22 years old from Israel. I wanted to say that I've watched all of your videos and I have to say that you're amazing! You have made a tremendous progress down the years and it has been a pleasure to notice it throughout the videos. But that aside, it's lovely to see you smile more and more and getting excited about different things plus that it also shows in your face expression which indicates how alive of person you are, so I wish you all the best and I believe in you! :)
HI, My Psychology professor introduced us to you. The progress you are making is AMAZING! I wish I could help in any way. You seem like a very sweet girl, and your mom is the best! I hope your future is great! Have a happy life!
get well soon, you're an inspiration to everyone with a speech disorder. Your strength and determination to keep going will certainly change lives✌👍👍
Wow! Sarah your doing terrific. Strokes run in my family. My mom and grandmother both had them. My husband had a stroke at 46 and was left with aphasia and couldnt speak. It's like being trapped in your body and knowing what you want but can't express it. It was like playing charades with my husband. I worry about having a stroke myself and changing my diet. Keep up the great work. Oxox from Texas.
Sarah, I had a stroke in February of this year. My stroke also affected the language section of my brain so your collection of videos really resonated with me. My stroke affected my speech for only a short time but sometimes I have to search harder for words than I used to. I am encouraged and amazed by your perseverance and patience. It is so inspiring to hear your story. Thank you for being willing to share it. God bless you.
it's amazing from the first video, how many words she can use, and how much less she has had to write down the words! I understand from this she has a ways to go, but she really has come a long way!!
She has come such a long way. Congratulations Sarah, keep it up!
Hi! I was just curious about aphasia so i watched a couple of your videos and now i have a much better understanding. I always wanted to donate to a charity and i think one concerning aphasia is perfect to choose. Thanks for posting, i think Sarah is awesome!
Wowww!!!! I really admire you Sarah and your mom for your courage and perseverance in order to recover from the stroke...My name is Diana,.I'm from Mexico and I'm a teacher of English. I want to learn more about language issues and I found your video. Thank you so much for sharing and thank you because people like you and your mom encourage other people not to give up but to be patient and fight against any problem or situation :) Hope to see you in other video :)
Wow, your comments means a lot to us and it's good to hear that you are still making some progress and learning new ways of coping. Good luck!
AMAZING Just went from First Video to this and UNBELIEVABLE! THANK GOD for that progress. I can't tell You how motivating this will be in Recovery! Just endured this exact thing at 40. Cheers for the Upload!
Our daughter is 20 and has had a stroke on holiday in Portugal, she cannot talk at the moment but this gives us hope all the best to you..
Hi Sarah (And Mom!)
Thank you for sharing these videos. I am a language teacher and show your videos to my students. Needless to say you inspire them, and interestingly, teach them quite a lot of English! :)
My husband had a stroke and had aphasia... You are doing so good!
I am pleasantly surprised to see the amount of progress since the last video. Far better than I anticipated. But I can see the amount of effort going on underneath still but she has done very well. All the best in the future.
Keep up the hard work, Sarah! You are inspiring!
Sarah and Mum, you guys are awesome! Sarah, good on you--you have made such amazing progress. You are so strong! Many wishes for continued progress from California. :)
Hello Sarah and Mom
You two are inspirational. My wife had a similar stroke at 48 effecting her communication. She has worked so hard.Its like Sarah says in the video it is such a cruel injury because its so difficult for her to comprehend how she could look just the same but be so different.I think fighting the saddness is the hardest.Sarah is so inspiring her videos actually show that people can get better. I would like to know more about the TMS and whether you think it has helped.KEEP IT UP
she is so inspiring and positive! doing a school project and broca's aphasia and your videos have helped me so much to understand it more in depth. thank you so much!
unbelievable progress. i never see anyone do this well. keep up the good work!!
I am so happy to see the progress of this remarkable young woman.Thank you for educating on stroke and aphasia.I had a stoke about four years ago when I was forty.I am working at educating about stroke and aphasia as well. I'm fortunate that my speech center was not really affected,but I've met several aphasiacs in my stroke support group and I've learned a lot about their challenges.Thank you,thank you,thank you,I am so inspired by you!
Glad to see you are doing so much better. Much love from the USA.
Sarah. I admire your courage and hard work and willingness to be open about your condition. I have Bipolar Disorder, a different kind of 'hidden' disability, and I can relate to some of what you are going through and the need to raise awareness. Keep it up!!
In 2006, I had a stroke, with Broca's Aphasia. I'm 50. I want to say how inspirational this video! You keep doing -- speech therapy, Occupational Therapy, whatever--and I'm sure you're going far!
Nobody knows how much Sarah will recover - but we'll never give up hope!
Hey J and Sarah! Just to say you're both doing a fab job, and it's good to see Sarah getting so much better! Loves ya! xxxxxxx
My dad had a stroke earlier this year and suffers from Aphasia. I think you are such an inspiration for putting yourself out there and raising awareness to this terrible side affect from having a stroke. You are so beautiful Sarah! I am so glad that you continue to make progress each day. Thank you so very much for sharing your story.
You've made great improvement, Sarah, keep up the good work.
i was excited to see this video in my subscriptions today! you seem to be doing better all the time :) keep the updates coming!
I think you and your daughter have done a great job of raising awareness for aphasia and stroke with these videos. Thanks a lot and best of luck to you both :D
All the very best! Such a huge difference from the first video. Best wishes.
As a student nurse your experience has given me an insight to how aphasia affects the individual person. It is amazing to watch your journey and progression with this condition. I want to thank you and wish you all the best with your recovery!!
Hi Sarah and Joanie,
I was recently tasked with watching Sarah's first video for a linguistics class I'm in. I was blown away by her positive attitude and her courage to put herself in front of the camera for the purpose of raising awareness about strokes and helping people learn about aphasia. I have since watched all the videos and the improvement over time is very evident. I just wanted to say thanks for your videos and you both seem like awesome people, keep up the good work.
I am glad to hear this - it would suggest she was stable at that time and with much better prognosis. In clinical practice a stroke should be diagnosed as soon as possible, to rule out intracranial hemorrhage and in order to be fast enough to save the affected brain area. This is why on suspicion of stroke we always go immediately to CT. Thank you for your fast response and for posting this video, I wish you and Sarah all the best.
I was brought here by The Undateables and have just watched all of your videos. Your progress is incredible and I just want to wish you all the best with your recovery and the awareness you and your mum are raising!
I too watched the Undateables last night. I think it's great that you both are raising awareness of strokes, and particularly in young people. I personally had no idea how many young people can be affected by strokes. To see your amazing recovery over time is fantastic. I wish you all the very best in the future with your recovery and I hope that you find happiness and live the life you hoped for.
Being around the same age as you, I can't imagine what you must go through every day. Your progress is absolutely astonishing. I wish you all the best in life, you sure do deserve it.
PS: Seeing that beautiful face light up made my day.
Your fan from Germany
Wow, it is incredible how your speech has improved. I am familiar with the neurological cause of Broca's aphasia, and so I know that this is improvement is because of how hard you've worked. Way to go, Sarah. It's amazing what you have achieved.
both motivational and inspirational. i hope her video's and her cause has been as therapeutic for her as it has for others. ironically, her words bring about great insight into a client's perspective. thanks sarah! you rock!
Sarah you are so brave - keep up the hard work! You and your mother make a great team. I will pray for you both. :)
Dear Sarah. I see your first video and now after years i see this video. Wow respekt . I wish i have so much power like you. You are a strong powerful lady . Be yourself . I wish you all love from the world. Greetings from germany,chriss . Ps. Sorry for my bad english.
I would like to let Sarah know that her overall standing in the situation, can only be described as heroism. Keep it up your awesome.
Could you talk more about your plan, as in career wise and hobbies that you have picked up or continued since your stroke in your next video. It brings a smile to my face when I see your eyes light up when your mom asks you a question about something you feel you can talk about with ease. I hope you continue to work at getting better and I hope the advancements in medical science catch up for you and your loved ones.
Hi Sara I listened to you on three counties radio earlier this week my heart go s out to you and your family its Remarkable how you have picked yourself up and are fighting back to health brave girl wish you well and will be following your vids god bless Sarah xxl
Sarah you are doing wonderfully and are a great resource for students around the globe to learn and understand the practical complications of strokes and brain injuries in general. I'm sure you didn't set out to do so, but sharing your time with us is so inspirational for people such as myself that want to get into the medical profession. Thank you Sarah and Mum both for providing us with these glimpses into your amazing life and story.
I learned of Wernicke's and Broca's aphasia in my psychology class and wanted to see real life examples of cases and so I stumbled on Sarah's videos. She has made astonishing progress with her recovery. Good for her. She seems to be a very bright girl and you have done such a good job of supporting her that I am sure she will one day be able to return to pursuing her academic goals.
- Best of wishes
I'm currently a medical student in the U.S. and was having trouble grasping the concept of Broca's aphasia and how a patient would present, so naturally I looked it up on youtube. :) I ran across your series of videos and am blown away by your progress, your charisma, and your drive for stroke awareness. I wanted to say thank you, for letting the social media have this personal insight into your life living with aphasia. You have enabled me to learn and (hopefully) become a better physician. :D
I'm also a medical student in the US and have been watching your videos since the first one. Great to see you spending so much time raising awareness. You are truly inspiring! Keep it up and keep us updated on what you have been doing.
Wow! I've seen you make such huge improvements over the last 2 years! You are sooooo strong, and truly an angel for sharing your condition. I have shown your videos to many of my fellow nursing students, and have done what I can to spread awareness. Thank you so much, keep up the GREAT work, and G*d bless!
Mike - Miami
You're fantastic Sarah! You will keep improving! Stay positive
Hi Sarah and Joanie!
I'd just like to say well done on all the progress made so far! I think it's fantastic that you are not only working on Sarah's recovery, but all your work in awareness building and fundraising are truly inspirational! :)
All the best for the future, I will be keeping an eye on youtube to look out for news from you :)
You have a great, supportive mother!
Hello Sarah and Joanie,
We watched three of your videos for our Neuropsychology class and I just wanted to mention that we were all touched by your story. The progress you have made in your speech production is quite impressive! You've gone from struggling with a few words to being able to string full sentences! I also want to commend you on your bravery, not many people would be willing to be featured on as many videos as you have if they had similar speech difficulties. Keep going :D, cheers!
this is absolutely amazing. Keep going Sarah! you are amazing !!
I'm sure you've had a lot of comments made since you appeared on a certain "Channel 4" show. If nothing else you've made many more people aware of Aphasia and strokes in young people. I had a friend who had multiple brain tumours removed and was left with aphasia. Looking from your first to last video's on youtube you have come a long way and you are an inspiration to everyone. I'm sure at times it can get you down and you can be frustated but anyone else would be the same. Best wishes
Love this girl! She is so strong. Also a great example for people out there who worry about the trivial things in life. :) Much respect, keep going Luv!
One thing that amazes me is the complete absence of obvious frustration. If she is frustrated, it certainly doesn't show. And that doesn't seem to be something that she worked on. On the first video, she already showed the same calm and patience. Judging by the incredible progress she is making, I have no doubt that her impaired speech isn't gonna be a burden for long. Tons of positive thoughts and wishes from me!
Well done Sarah! I have been following your videos and you really are inspirational! Keep up the good work.
thank you for posting this update, I've been wondering about Sarah recently. She's made so much progress this last year! Her vocabulary seems leaps and bounds ahead, she's speaking longer sentences, her voice has more of a lyrical quality to it. Very impressive. Sarah's hard work and cheerful attitude are inspiring to say the least. She's looking as cute as ever, too. Thanks again for posting!
I remember watching this when it first came on Reddit about a year back. It's incredible looking at the progression over such a short time, I was also taken aback to get the next update whilst watching national TV. I really wish you all the best for the future.
conrats on recovery, keep it up, considering the cider and camera nervousness i sometimes have, you are doing awesome!! :)
Hi Mrs Scott
I would just like to say how beautiful your daughter is
and the fact that she struggles to find her words sometimes just makes her all that more attractive and cute!
Fantastic! The progress is remarkable. Great work!
Sarah, you are a truly amazing woman. Keep at it, fight through the frustration, and continue to spread the word about Aphasia and Stroke. You can do it, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
-Ryan
I'm a Psychology student and came across about your case when I was studying for my module on Cognitive Neuroscience and Biological Psychology. Its really inspiring to see how you got a stroke at such a young age and yet managed to keep such a positive attitude and now making a change in other people's life. :) Great to see all the improvements you have made across those years. Keep it up and all the best as your journey continues! :) Hope to get more updates from time to time. :)
Great job on your progress Sarah! I'm sure you're an inspiration to more people than you'll ever know. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing future updates.
Your progress is utterly inspiring, and the work you are doing to raise awareness is brilliant. Wishing you both all the very best for the future. Alex xx
Hi Sarah your doing great. Several years ago I worked for an acupuncturist and a care agency. A man had suffered a stroke after dye had been injected into him. His motor and speech where as if in slow motion. He was really difficult to understand and he found it exhausting to speak. I witness throat acupuncture. Sounds bad but the result was amazing. The needle was left in for 20 minutes and then removed.He never shut up for 2 days.
I was advised to watch Sarah's first video for my linguistics class last week, and I've been watching all of your videos since then. I think Sarah's a fighter and I wish her all the best from the Netherlands!
sarah, i was so excited to see you on C4 the other night! i started following your youtube videos years ago when i first decided to train as a speech and language therapist, and now i'm approaching qualification - so thanks for being an inspiration! i wish you all the very best.
Pretty amazing transformation. The first time I watched these videos I was surprised about the age of Sarah at the time of her stroke. Keep up the videos! I wish you the best. God bless. xx
I'm studying Broca's aphasia and this video was very useful!
thank you for the video! Since I'm taking an English class at University and have to know a bit about Broca's aphasia, this video was very helpful and interesting to watch.
Hiya Sarah thanks for replying hope you keep putting your videos up on you tube my name is Alan and I live in Dunstable I'm 57 I also have health problems ie Heart Disease and Vascular disease I'm also on blood thinking tablets to stop blood clots and also lost my hgv licence as I was a truck driver for over 30 yrs a job I loved what I'm trying to say is your a very bright young lady don't give up you have so much going for you a lovely family there you just take each day as it come Sarah xx
Such a beautiful girl. Wish she never went through that. She’s so strong!