Hi everyone — Angela here, writing on behalf of Matthew (for now).
On December 6th, completely out of the blue, Matthew suffered a severe stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors removed several clots from his left carotid artery. It was an incredibly stressful and unexpected ordeal — especially since Matthew is a fit, relatively young guy. This was not part of the plan.
We’re beyond grateful that he survived and is recovering well physically. He has good use of his body, and his strength is returning. But the stroke left one major challenge: Matthew has lost his ability to speak.
The words are still there — he knows exactly what he wants to say — but his mouth and brain are struggling to connect. This condition is called Apraxia of Speech. It was also the first sign something was wrong that day.
While insurance covered the emergency care, follow-up therapy has been tough. The only covered option is a five-hour round trip to the nearest therapist, with appointments booked months out. Online speech therapy — which could begin right now — isn’t covered at all. But when it comes to stroke recovery, timing is everything.
So many of you have asked how you can help, and this is the best way:
We’re raising funds to pay out of pocket for online speech therapy so Matthew can keep up the incredible progress he’s already making.
Any contribution helps — truly. Thank you so much for your love, your support, and your belief in Matthew’s recovery. We’re so grateful.
With love,
Angela & Matthew