On June 1 an annual event let lecturer Eileen Gilroy and her Communication Disorders and Sciences grad students join with local aphasia support group Friends of Aphasia and hear their stories of struggle and recovery.
It's the fourth time that the gathering has been held at Super Cream Dairy Bar in Homer, N.Y, and lets the students and group members interact in a more casual setting outside a lab or classroom.
"The event helped the students to understand how individuals live with aphasia in our community," Gilroy said.
Also during the get-to-together, Doug Bentley, a member of the Cortland County Council, issued a proclamation for National Aphasia Awareness Month. The ceremony has been a tradition since 2017, when Gilroy and her students first advocated to the council for its recognition.
Gilroy and friend Michele Chisholm Clukey ’14, M ’16, a speech pathologist at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, help lead Friends of Aphasia, which meets quarterly and welcomes people with aphasia, their caregivers, and anyone with an interest in the condition.