My name is Toni and I am a student in Edinburgh, Scotland, doing an MSc in Psychology of Language. Last summer, I left the rainy UK behind and came over from Europe to visit my boyfriend in the Sonoran Desert, but I also wanted to use my visit to do something useful in the local community. Out of the blue, I got in touch with Dr. Fabi Hirsch to meet the “Friends of Aphasia,” and I could not have made a better choice on how to spend my free time in Tucson!

Everyone at the Aphasia Center was extremely welcoming, open and interested, while teaching me so much more than I could have expected. Each member of this wonderful community has unique knowledge about living with a speech or comprehension deficit and each one of them is determined to use all their abilities not only to improve their own communication skills but help everyone else in the room to make progress at the same time without pressure or judgement. It was so valuable for me to expand my knowledge from my theoretic background to the much more real everyday challenges of those living with aphasia. The “Friends of Aphasia” work together, educate each other, listen, laugh and succeed every day, even if it is hard sometimes! Dr. Hirsch put so much trust in me and I am extremely grateful that I could develop my knowledge in this constructive environment. I can only urge everyone who has experience with speech disorders, knows someone recovering from a stroke or simply wants to learn from experts how important communication is for every single one of us – whether you are living with aphasia or not – to support this community in one way or another!