Friends of Aphasia

10/12/2026

Founded by Genevieve Richardson, M.S., CCC-SLP, this podcast bridges the gap between hospital discharge and living fully again. Viewers learn practical strategies to make progress at home, strengthen relationships, and feel like themselves again.

When aphasia turns daily life upside down, families are often left guessing what to do next. LIFE Beyond Aphasia gives stroke survivors and caregivers clear, simple strategies to make life feel possible again. Every episode teaches real skills you can use at home to communicate better, feel more con...

10/08/2026

After a stroke, grief can emerge from changes in identity, independence, relationships, roles, abilities, and the future you once imagined. Yet these non-death losses often go unrecognized, leaving stroke survivors and carepartners feeling isolated or unseen.
Dr. Lucy Hone, resilience researcher and author joined the Stroke Onward community for a conversation about “living loss”: the grief that can accompany illness and other profound life upheavals.

Together with the audience, she discusses how stroke survivors and carepartners can acknowledge what has changed without allowing loss to define the whole story, and begin moving toward renewed meaning, connection, identity, and hope.

Link to video: https://vimeo.com/1231824839?fl=pl&fe=sh

10/05/2026

We have a 10 person team this year participating in the El Tour de Tucson 5K walk to raise money for Friends of Aphasia, a local non-profit co-founded by Gabby Giffords.

Aphasia is a language disorder that isolates individuals by stripping away their ability to speak, understand, read, and/or write. When insurance cuts off formal therapy, Friends of Aphasia steps in to provide long-term community support and life re-engagement.

Our team is raising $10,000 to fund vital services. It is an incredibly exciting time for the organization. Our community is growing and we have launched a powerful new emphasis on music-based programming this year. Substantial research shows that music is a powerful tool in aphasia treatment. Because music engages both hemispheres of the brain, it can help spark new neural pathways for language. The built-in repetition and patterns inherent in music naturally support memory, learning, and everyday communication recovery.

How you can help, visit our fundraising page at:

https://runsignup.com/80091_27246

A big thank you to those who have already supported us! Let’s get people talking!!

ABOUT EL TOUR The 43rd El Tour de Tucson is now preparing to host one of the premier bicycling events in the country. We hope you participate in this year’s event on November 21, 2026. You won’t be alone given that annually approximately 11,000...

10/01/2026

Thank you PD Ronstadt for the excellent mini-concert you performed at Friends of Aphasia! It was moving and wonderful!

https://www.peterronstadt.com

Thank you to John Coman for getting PD in the room!!

09/25/2026

09/24/2026

We are gearing up for the 5K walk at El Tour de Tucson on Nov. 21. We have a team of 10 walking this year to raise funds to support our members with high-quality, member-centered aphasia services. Help us achieve our vision of a world in which aphasia does not limit quality of life. Will you help Friends of Aphasia's team in reaching its goal?

https://runsignup.com/80091_27246/Donate

09/14/2026

Thank you David Slutes and La Rosa for making it so easy for our members to join Song Church on Sunday! We all had a great time! Gabrielle Pietrangelo and the band were fabulous as always!

09/14/2026

IU
College of Arts + Sciences
Professor Stark
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Rebuilding Communication: Recovery After Brain Injury
Wednesday, September 16
7:00 p.m.
Free online webcast

How do people communicate and recover after stroke or brain injury, and how can research support more practical, personalized rehabilitation?

Brielle Stark, associate professor in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and faculty in the Program in Neuroscience at Indiana University will share:
What communication recovery looks like in the brain and every day life for people living with aphasia and traumatic brain injury.
How different forms of communication work together, why communication and its recovery varies from person to person, and how research can lead to more practical, personalized approaches to rehabilitation.

To register:

Join us on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as Associate Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Brielle Stark explores how people communicate and recover after stroke or brain injury, and how research can support more practical, personalized rehabilitation.. Following the presentation, our...

09/09/2026

Patterns and repetition is good for the brain!

09/07/2026

We are starting our Fall semester and have some volunteer openings. All we need is 4 hours a week. This is a fun and rewarding opportunity. Contact us for more information or set up a time to visit a group to see what Friends of Aphasia is about.