Source: Adler Aphasia Center.org
On September 26, 2018, the Adler Aphasia Center will celebrate their 15th anniversary during their annual gala at Seasons in Washington Township from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
This year’s theme, A Fifteen Year Journey to Reconnection, Recovery and Rediscovery, will showcase the journey on which the Center’s members and families have embarked.
Aphasia is a disorder that affects the ability to communicate without affecting one’s intellect. It can occur from head trauma, a tumor, or in most cases, a stroke.
Awards will be presented to some very respected and familiar names in the community this year: the Myron Corporation; Fernando Garip of Wilmington Trust/M&T Bank; Barbara and Steve Kessler; and the Jackie and Paul Koury family.
Center Founder Elaine Adler will serve as this year’s Honorary Gala Chair. And Steve Adubato, Ph.D., and Emmy Award winning anchor at Thirteen/WNET (PBS) and NJTV (PBS), will once again add his talent and charm as master of ceremonies.
There will be cocktails, a lavish buffet and valuable networking with prominent members of the community while helping benefit the Center’s scholarship fund, established so that no one with aphasia is turned away from participating in their program. The annual silent auction and a 50/50 raffle will again be offered.
The Adler Aphasia Center has made an addition to its nine Aphasia Communication Groups in Bridgewater, Haddonfield, Hammonton, Maywood, Monroe Township, Morristown, Scotch Plains, Toms River, and West Orange. The newest group in North Bergen is unique in that the program is facilitated in Spanish by a bilingual speech-language pathologist who highly encourages home aides and caregiving family members to also attend the meetings.
In a recent meeting, Isabel, whose brother Rafael has aphasia, described how difficult it has been to get the appropriate help. His words were seemingly disappearing, and despite having taken him to multiple doctors as well as enrolling him in local senior groups, Rafael was unhappy and was not participating.
“This group today has given us hope,” Isabel said. “We know what aphasia is now — no one ever spoke the word ‘aphasia’ to us, not even when they referred us to this group.” Other members described similar journeys and are now excited to see what the future holds for themselves and for their group of newfound friends.
The participants at North Bergen, who meet twice a month at the North Bergen Public Library, are reaching out to one another to find information about where to find individual speech therapist and other understanding medical professionals. They are excited about spreading the Center’s mission and having the opportunity to meaningfully reconnect to the people with aphasia in their lives.
Tickets for the Fifteen Year Journey to Reconnection, Recovery and Rediscovery Gala are $275 each — email egoldstein @ adleraphasiacenter.org to find out more. You can also make an online donation.