We are Forever Grateful

My mother is a victim of two strokes. After her first stroke, in 2007, she made great strides to regain independence and was able to drive again. However, the effects of her second stroke in 2009, were much worse. Her abilities to walk and speak greatly decreased, and while able to do most daily living skills on her own, those tasks became much harder. Because she had so much difficulty doing these things, her motivation to improve was extremely low.

She began treatment at Sara’s Garden in March 2014. I was with her for the month and attended each of her Conductive Education sessions. My mom and I agree that the staff was tremendous. They are kind and caring and showed that each day we were with them. If my mom was struggling with an exercise, They were very understanding and would adapt it, so that it was still challenging, but gave my mom a chance to complete it and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. They were able to motivate my mom in ways that we weren’t able to after her second stroke, to get the most out of the class.

Before the treatment at Sara’s Garden, my mom had very little use of her right arm and hand. This was a main point of focus in the Conductive Education sessions. One of the most memorable moments from the sessions was when my mom raised a wooden rod above her head, using both hands, something that was unthinkable before she worked with them. I filmed this and sent it to my family; my aunt said she was crying in the middle of a store as she watched it!

My mom also improved in speaking, reading, and walking. She uses the skills she learned in Conductive Educations class every day and is so grateful to Sara’s Garden for their guidance, patience and care throughout the sessions. My family is forever thankful to the staff of Sara’s Garden for helping her gain independence and helping her see that she is able to do things that she thought were impossible before.