STHS celebrates five years of support to local stroke survivors

SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM’S STROKE SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF PROVIDING ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO LOCAL STROKE SURVIVORS

Since 2019, the group has provided a supportive environment for stroke survivors, their families and caregivers to take part in educational activities to help them with their recovery, as well as share their experiences with and motivate fellow members

A stroke is a life-changing incident that can leave a person feeling extremely isolated. While friends and family can be empathetic, having the support of someone who has endured a similar experience can make all the difference.

In the United States, there are more than 1,800 stroke support groups, per the American Stroke Association, each providing essential education, support, hope and encouragement for survivors and their loved ones as they navigate their individual path to recovery.

Ultimately, the goal of these groups is to help eliminate feelings of depression, hopelessness and loneliness after a stroke by reducing isolation, providing coping mechanisms, alleviating stress and offering a platform for the sharing of experiences with one another.

For the last five years, stroke survivors in the Rio Grande Valley – including Winter Texans who make their home in the four-county region during the winter months – have been able to receive support from the South Texas Health System Stroke Survivors Support Group, which is handled by the healthcare system’s outpatient rehabilitation centers at STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg.

“Having a stroke is traumatic due to the sudden and life-altering nature of the medical emergency,” says Sophia Alton, PTA, STHS Outpatient Rehabilitation Center McAllen, who established the group. “Our support group provides a safe space for stroke survivors to receive ongoing education vital to their recovery.”

During their monthly meetings, STHS staff provide invaluable education and significant emotional support to help significantly improve the physical and mental well-being and overall quality of life of the group’s members while empowering them, including those who may feel lost or uncertain about how to move forward, to remain positive and stay the course on their road to recovery.

“They’re able to share their own personal experiences and receive the emotional support they need, especially when they’re feeling isolated or frustrated with their progress,” says Alton. “It’s helpful to know they’re not alone and that, while the road to recovery isn’t always linear, it does get better.”

It’s the social support provided by STHS Stroke Survivors Support Group, which has allowed lasting friendships to form among members, that kept Carrie Heim coming back time and time again.

“These people have been here for me providing emotional support and encouragement when I was at my lowest,” says Heim, a hemorrhagic stroke survivor who has been a member of the group since its inception in 2019. “From one moment to the next, my life was in danger, and I had to undergo surgery to stop the bleeding in my brain. For 10 days, no one knew if I’d survive.”

But Carrie would pull through. Following her life-threatening ordeal, she would go on to attend an STHS Stroke Survivors Support Group meeting to help forge through a health situation few of her loved ones could comprehend.

“As soon as I walked into the room, I encountered other people like me who’d gone through the same situation and I instantly realized that we were all in it together,” says Carrie, a Winter Texan who never misses a meeting during her time in the Valley. “We’ve become a family, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world because it is just so important.”

When the STHS Stroke Survivors Support Group was established, it consisted of only about 10 stroke survivors and caregivers. Today, the group has grown to 40 members, all connecting with others who understand their experiences and share their challenges.

“It’s hard to believe what began as a simple idea has blossomed into something so beautiful,” says Alton, who was inspired to launch the group after working a stroke patient who talked about feeling like less of a man because he couldn’t care for his wife the way he used to. “So, to help our patients combat those negative feelings that arise after experiencing a life-altering medical emergency, I threw out the idea of launching a support group for stroke survivors, which my coworkers supported. We had no idea how to start the group; we just felt this strong desire to help our patients!”

Since then, the STHS Stroke Survivors Support Group has helped hundreds of stroke survivors like Carrie, as well as the family members and caregivers of stroke patients, improve their quality of life through education, emotional support and community-building. It’s life-improving assistance the STHS Outpatient Rehabilitation Services teams at STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg plan to offer the people of the Rio Grande Valley for years to come.

The STHS Stroke Survivors Support Group meets every second Tuesday of the month, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the STHS Edinburg Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, located at 1800 S. 5 Street, Suite B in McAllen. Additionally, the support group has a private Facebook page for members. For more information, contact Sophia Alton at 956-971-5728 or Sophia.alton@uhsrgv.com or visit the STHS McAllen website at https://www.sthsmcallen.com/stroke-support-group.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan, and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and six freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

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