Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the speech that Gabby Giffords gave at the Democratic National Convention was groundbreaking. Aphasia featured front and center as Gabby Giffords discussed her struggles with paralysis and aphasia following a traumatic head injury from a gunshot wound. She delivered her words beautifully, educating the general public on the meaning of aphasia.

 

Her words begin after a short introduction putting her story in context:

I’ve known the darkest of days. Days of pain and uncertain recovery. Confronted by despair, I’ve summoned hope. Confronted by paralysis and aphasia, I responded with grit and determination. I put one foot in front of the other. I found one word, and then I found another. My recovery is a daily fight, but fighting makes me stronger. Words once came easily, but today I struggle to speak. But I have not lost my voice. America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words.

The Aphasia Community Response

We discussed her speech during our last aphasia cafe chat. 95% of people on the call were glad that Gabby Giffords used her time on the national stage to shine a light on aphasia.

 

We asked people to describe how they felt hearing her words. There were the accolades: wonderful, terrific, inspiring, awesome, great, and groundbreaking. But there was also gratitude expressed. One person called her an ambassador, and another said that it made her feel less alone. Moreover, many agreed that they felt moved to be an advocate, too, even if it’s in their day-to-day life and not on a national stage.

 

How did you feel hearing Gabby Giffords share her story and shine a light on aphasia? Tell us in the comments below.

 

Image: Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA