Stroke Peer Visitors

[Music Playing] Jay Levy: Hi! How are you? Helen Arnett: I am good, baby. How are you? Jay Levy: Nice to see you. How is it going? Helen Arnett: Good to see you! Female Speaker: For the past six months, Helen Arnett has been dealing with the affects of a stroke. The paralysis or weakness she experiences are further complicated by a brain tumor. Helen Arnett: I am doing pretty good actually. Jay Levy: Yeah, I can see that. Female Speaker: Among those providing help and encouragement is Jay Levy, a retired financial executive. Helen Arnett: I look at him as like my guru, as somebody I go to when I have questions on many things, about what's going through my body, how am I handling things. Jay Levy: I am going to hold you, I am going to hold you here. Female Speaker: He is able to offer something that few others can, an understanding of exactly what Helen is going through. Jay Levy: A lot of people think that once the crisis is over, that's the end of the story. Not true. That's just the beginning. The rehabilitation part is where you really, really need help. Female Speaker: Jay speaks from experience, experience that began on a drive with his wife Sandra. Jay Levy: I felt a little strange, I felt like I was getting the flu. We drove home, and when I got home I was not feeling well. Female Speaker: But it wasn't the flu, and the next morning Jay's condition worsened. Sandra Levy: I went to work, and then I called him from work about an hour later, and he did answer the phone, but it was all incoherent, just babbling, and I knew then that there was something more than just the flu. Female Speaker: The next thing Jay remembers is waking up in the hospital. Jay Levy: I know there was a bunch of people in the room. I have no idea where I was at, and I saw two of our Pastors from our church, and Sandra, and they were praying over me. And I said, oh my God! I must be dying. Female Speaker: He survived, but Jay and Sandra worried that he would be severely disabled. Sandra Levy: He couldn't talk, and at that point when he seemed like he was going to live, then the question is, is he going to get any better, or is this going to be what it's going to be like the rest of his life? Female Speaker: The answers became clearer, thanks to a peer visitor, a person like Jay, who had suffered a stroke, but was now far along in recovery. Jay Levy: She has some disabilities, but she was so much better than I felt, that it gave me great spirit. Female Speaker: Jay credits the Peer Visitor program at the Rehab Center with giving him hope that he too could and would get better. Jay Levy: When I was getting better, one of the deals that I made with my God was, okay God, if you get me through this, I am going to give back just like those people did. Female Speaker: Today Jay is visiting Burt England, who had a stroke two weeks ago. Burt England: I am seeing remarkable improvement, I am able to move my leg, my hand. I am able to speak a lot clearer. Jay Levy: Oh great, good! So how is your eating? Kelly Dunham: It is the most important program that we have here. It's good for the patient, because they can talk to someone that's gone through the same thing. And for the family, they can see what the results are after a stroke. Female Speaker: The program through which Jay volunteers is one of many across the country that assist stroke survivors and their families. Jay Levy: So let me give you a friendly little hint about going home. It's going to be more difficult than you think. Female Speaker: Reaching out to other stroke survivors gives Jay a strong sense of satisfaction that he is making a difference, while giving them comfort that they are not alone, and hope that better days lie ahead. Jay Levy: Not feeling alone in the moment of extreme darkness is worth a lot. [Music Playing]