Alan and Denise

Meet husband and wife, Alan and Denise Jeffrey, from Wakefield.
The couple lived a happy and relaxed life, full of smiles and laughter. Alan was energetic and enjoyed playing golf nearly every day. Denise loved socialising. Together, they planned lots of holidays and couldn't wait for their next adventure. That was until August 2023, when Alan experienced a sudden stroke which changed their lives forever.
Alan's stroke left him paralysed, and he was quickly diagnosed with severe Aphasia. He struggled reading, writing and was only able to speak one or two words. This was a huge shock to the Jeffrey family who were left devastated. That day, Alan's wife became his primary carer.
Whilst at The Dewsbury Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Alan embarked on physical therapy alongside speech and language therapy. Denise recalls: "The hospital was very good, but Alan's speech therapy was minimal. For Alan, this was the most important part of his recovery."
During this time, someone from The Stroke Society referred Alan and Denise to Aphasia Support. Through the charity, Alan received intense 1:1 speech and language therapy for a six month period. A qualified speech and language therapist created a bespoke programme tailored just for Alan. The family were then matched with a volunteer who visited their home every fortnight and encouraged Alan to keep practicing in-between sessions, with the help of his loving wife.
Denise shared: "We didn't really expect much as Alan has some brain damage, but Aphasia Support were amazing and he made good progress. We both enjoyed the regular meetings with our volunteer, El, who was very helpful."
"Alan's fear and anxiety has gone. He now knows that he can get help, and that continuing with his verbal exercises will help him. Through the therapy App, Cuespeak, he learnt how to identify and repeat words. This was something he couldn't do directly after his stroke. He will never be able to communicate as before, but he has progressed so much. We both feel very privileged and would definitely recommend Aphasia Support."