I was a single mom to two boys (11 and 14). I was working as a special education teacher and was finishing my first year as an assistant principal of a large middle school. On July 7th, 2009, I had a stroke caused by a tiny genetic birth defect called Eagle’s Syndrome that had lain silent until 2 weeks after my 41st birthday. I went to bed and 10 minutes later found myself with half my body no longer working, and, yes, it was that sudden.

I wouldn’t change the events of that July night, which seem to have led to so many good things. So much beauty is apparent in my “brokenness”. I have had to learn to see myself and my situation with new eyes. There is a Japanese tradition where they repair broken pottery with gold, which makes the piece more valuable and even more beautiful broken than it was whole. My healing journey is made up of learning to see my “brokenness” this way. Despite having residual paralysis from my ABI, I have recovered well. And the number one reason I believe I improved as well as I did was because of support groups. (I will confess that it took me over two years to get to a support group. Most survivors that I met had cognitive and speech issues, but no physical issues. I was exactly opposite, so why bother going to some place where no one understood you?) But I will be the first to admit how wrong I was. I quickly realized that whilst we presented differently, we all had a thread of commonality.

Support Groups are key to recovery. I’ve been lucky to lead several in Georgia and Utah. The Niekro Foundation understands the importance of these groups and cares for the well-being of the group leaders. Their monthly and quarterly meetings provide many benefits:

• Emotional healing through interaction
• Sharing similar experiences helps members feel less alone and more ready to deal with day-to-day issues
• Encouragement comes from learning about how others have conquered situations similar to theirs
• Education results from the exposure to information and personal experiences in a group
• Socialization occurs when connections with people are made, and confidence in social skills develops when appropriate interaction occurs in support groups
• Self-expression, as emotions are experienced and released, creates a greater understanding of oneself
• Confidence-building results as members take responsibility for the work of the group, and see progress with the plans they made
• Safety in the environment of a confidential, supportive, non-judgmental group allows for honest disclosure and sharing of common difficulties

My words of hope and advice for others is Find your people!  I am the number one fan of support groups. I tell my support groups to always remember, “Your physical limitations will likely be a door opener to help others because weakness draws and connects people in a way strength sometimes can’t.”