Whaddya Say?

Many years ago I was going through a particularly rough and stressful time in my life. My marriage was falling apart, but I had to keep it a secret. I had to go on as if nothing was wrong, and pretend I was happily married. The extreme stress of the situation manifested itself physically with me in the form of what I now know to be atypical migraines. I didn't know what they were when they happened. These atypical migraines manifested themselves in three different ways. When the first one happened I was really scared. I got up from the table after working at the computer all afternoon, and one side of my body was numb. I thought I was having a stroke. A trip to the ER, and a negative CAT scan later, and I  knew that I hadn't had a stroke but no explanation of the numbness. The second symptom I had was a sort of block vision. I would look ahead of me, and the horizon would build from the ground up in pixilated blocks. The third, to me, was the most terrifying. I was trying to speak, and my brain knew what I wanted to say, but when the words finally came out of my mouth, they were gibberish. It only lasted a short time, but I had no idea what was happening to me. I thought I had a brain tumor. I saw a neurologist, had an MRI and was eventually diagnosed with atypical migraines. The last symptom I described is a type of aphasia, and is very common in stroke victims. This brings me to the inspiration for this post. 

Back in July of 2010 I had the great fortune to be cast in a workshop production of a show called Company of Angels. Also cast in the show was an incredible young man named Jason Campbell. He was playing an angel named Robert who was trying to earn his wings, and his character talked incessantly and his lines came out like rapid fire. I had never worked with Jason before, but I soon fell in love with him as an actor and person. Early in 2014 Jason was on stage in a production of "Life Could Be a Dream" at Swift Creek Mill Theater when other cast members started to realize that something was wrong. Something was very wrong! Jason was having a stroke. We never think of young, vibrant people having strokes. Strokes are something  that 70 + people have. Jason was taken to the hospital and started a long road to recovery. In less than a year Jason has made incredible progress. To look at him, you would never know the trauma he has faced. It is only when Jason tries to speak to you that you see the one thing from the stroke that has not left him, aphasia. Very shortly after Jason came home from the hospital, my daughter and I went to visit him. He had very few words to say and the few words that did come out didn't seem to match the questions we had asked. Jason makes his living as a theatre teacher and actor. Aphasia makes that close to impossible. Because of some very giving people, Jason had the opportunity to go to the Aphasia Center in Florida. Through intensive treatment he has improved immensely from those first days. Everyday Jason posts a video announcing the date of the current day, and some thought to carry us through. Most days it is funny and very entertaining, but most of all it is inspiring. I dealt with aphasia for minutes, and it was incredibly frustrating and scary. Jason has been dealing with it for months. Not long ago Jason posted a video entitled "Honesty"  Click on  the link and please watch. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10102297151427176&set=vb.25503273&type=2&theater 

I would have wanted to give up long ago, yet he presses on, never giving up, working tirelessly to do something we take for granted. Jason Campbell you are a hero to more people than you know. You can achieve the impossible, you already have! If you would like to contribute to help Jason continue at the Aphasia Center, please click on this link. http://www.gofundme.com/7odo30