In 2018, Peter had three back-to-back strokes which resulted in a diagnosis of aphasia.

Before his first stroke, Peter was an engineer for a mining company in San Jose, CA with an MBA from a German university.

Now, when he goes to Starbucks, he presents a message on his phone: "I cannot speak but can hear you. Please give me some water with ice. "

Peter found Friends of Aphasia online and began attending meetings via Zoom before deciding to move to Tucson to join our in-person group. And he hasn't lost his proclivity for innovation - while the stroke limited his mobility, Peter still plays guitar, swims and puts on a necktie one-handed, cuts his steak with a rolling knife, and invented a device to clip his fingernails using the same hand he's holding it with.

Aphasia is a disorder that affects how you communicate. It can impact your speech, as well as the way you write and understand both spoken and written language.

Aphasia usually happens suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative). The severity of aphasia depends on a number of things, including the cause and the extent of the brain damage.

The main treatment for aphasia involves treating the condition that causes it, as well as speech and language therapy. The person with aphasia relearns and practices language skills and learns to use other ways to communicate. Family members often participate in the process, helping the person communicate.

Please help the individuals who are living with this challenging disorder.