This forum wouldn’t be the amazing place it is without everyone here. Your compassion and honesty are so important to stroke survivors and their loved ones. I cannot tell you how often I am approached by people within the Stroke Association who say what a wonderful community you have all built here.
In addition to thanking everyone, though, there are a few people we wanted to thank individually.
@Mahoney has been moderating here on the forum for quite a while now. You may not see the work she does to keep the forum a safe place, but it has helped our team here so much. Superstar!
And @Mrs5K has recently joined in to help, so a big thank you to her for volunteering.
@Bobbi and @Hils joined the forum last year and absolutely jumped in with both feet. Their Zoom Group (ZOG) is such a great way for people on the forum to “meet” up. And I know Bobbi often reaches out to new people here to run a short one-to-one session for anyone who is nervous. Absolutely amazing.
I also want to personally say a huge thank you to everyone as well. When I joined the Stroke Association back in 2021, I was so nervous. But you all welcomed me with open arms. You let me know when there’s a post or comment that needs my attention. I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to know that you are all here looking out for each other and letting me and the team know if we need to get involved.
Thank you again and, to paraphrase Bobbi: Keep on being amazing!
Ashley, Alex and Clement
Thank you for that lovely message, but thank you also for being so supportive and encouraging as I find my way through life as a stroke survivor. In particular the mystrokeguide forum has been inspiring, helpful and a great source of contact with others like myself.
I have not achieved a full recovery but nevertheless so much has happened that I would not have believed possible at the beginning of all this. Both Hilary and I are lucky to have met you.
I also ought to give a big shout of thanks to all those we have met who have provided us with human companionship and fellow feeling in this journey that we all share,
This forum is a great little community & has helped me enormously throughout my recovery. I’m very grateful I found it & to everyone who has provided advice & support to me & others I say thank you too.
Hopefully, i’ll not create too much chaos in my new moderator role
Its the time and effort that everyone puts in that makes the forum such a kind safe place that i find overwhelmingly supportive and positive.
I have made some friends for life on here , ironically in a placw that none of us would ever have chosen to be in.
It is quite simply the most fantastic resource full of love care advice compassion sympathy and most importantly empathy. Coz if you are not on this journey then you dont know what its like or how we feel.
Such a diverse group of all ages backgrounds locations etc all with one thing in common.
Id like to hear more about how you guys influence the stroke association using the power and ideas and knowledge generated by the awesome people on MSF…
What wins ideas research gains suggestions can we as the forum specifically take pride in.
I agree with most of what Bob @Bobbi said, I also want to thank all you lot out there who have let us see your faces and chat with us on the ZOG meetings. It really makes a difference to us both.
I couldn’t agree more @TRFCANDY53. The forum really is such a special community.
I recently attended a meeting with one of the regional teams to talk about the forum and My Stroke Guide. I talked about how great a community the forum was and was immediately told by some of our coordinators how helpful some of their clients find it. They told me they refer just about everyone to the forum.
In terms of the way we feedback what happens on the forum, I often raise comments I see here within meetings. Letting people at the Stroke Association know what is being discussed around a given topic (the Aphasia documentary or Cost of Living crisis, for example).
I am working on a way to improve the way we gather feedback here on the forum as well. I don’t want to use anyone’s comments or posts without their permission, but you’re right in saying that the community has a lot to offer the Stroke Association in terms of influence, power, ideas and knowledge. But it’s all still a bit at the minute.
In so many ways ‘those affected by stroke’ need support, encouragement and guidance.
It is so important to find somewhere that these can be obtained.
I think we are all grateful that such a place exists.
In addition it is good to be able to take active control and offer back what we can for this community of which we have become a part. That sense of having some control over what is happening is valuable and even essential to the healing process for each of us.
There is an old saying that I think is very true in respect of our situation.
It is said “Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day. Show them how to obtain the tackle, how to use it and where, then they will be able to provide for themselves for life.”
Day to day concerns are pressing and important, but a long term plan needs to somehow be mapped out as well. This is where, again, support, encouragement and guidance can make a big difference.
Forgive my rambling on.
Who am I spouting this flowery prose? Just another person ‘affected by stroke’.
What I have to say might not be world changing wisdom, but it is my opinion, right or wrong. I just feel I need to get it out there, not just have it living within.
If I offend or say something obviously wrong please make allowances, I am a human with all the foibles that involves, but also, I am making an attempt to deal with this stroke thing.
Congratulations Mrs5K. I know you give so much help to so many people - including me - on this forum. Its very scary the first time you post but so great to meet so many helpful people who are trying to cope with what has happened to them. So thank you to all the wonderful people who run this group and offer wise advice and also thank you to all the members who post and therefore help others to realise they are not alone in this strange new world in which we suddenly find ourselves
Awww thank you @Apple that’s very kind of you. Everyone provides a valuable contribution on the forum & the help & support we hive each other is fantastic.
