For the 5th anniversary of the EnableMe podcast series we’re revisiting one of our most popular topics: neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change and the basis of recovery after stroke.

To find out what’s new in neuroplasticity and how to use it in your own life, we talk to medical researcher Peter Levine, author of the book Stronger After Stroke, which has helped stroke survivors worldwide. Find out more at https://recoverfromstroke.blogspot.com/

We also speak to young stroke survivor Saran Chamberlain, founder of the YESS SA network and engagement coordinator for the Stroke Foundation’s Young Stroke Project, and to physiotherapist Katherine Yong from StrokeLine.

Stroke Foundation #27 - Neuroplasticity and recovery with Peter Levine

Guests: Emma Beesley and Rachel Parsons
This episode is about dating as a survivor of stroke and someone with disability. It includes the highs and lows and everything in between.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 6: Dating after stroke

Guests: Kristie Sauer and Clive Kempson 
This episode is an honest conversation about the evolution of friendships after a stroke – how friends respond, how friendships change, how to be a good friend and more.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 5: Friendships after stroke

Guests: Naomi and Matthew Morris
Stroke occurs suddenly, changing the lives of not only the survivor of stroke but impacting everyone around them. This episode explores the impact of stroke on roles and relationships within the family unit.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 7: Roles And Relationships

This podcast was created and is hosted by Paul Burns, a young survivor of stroke. This podcast series is part of Stroke Foundation’s Young Stroke Project.

Gustavo Zaera is a Spanish born, multilingual, Norwegian technology entrepreneur who has dealt with many challenges including a brain tumour in 2013.

In this episode we chat about his approach to life, dealing with emotions and how his early childhood experiences forged the resilience that helped him deal not only with his diagnosis and treatment but go on to continue to succeed!

(Special edition) Smashing it after stroke. Episode 4 - Gustavo Zaera

This podcast was created and is hosted by Paul Burns, a young survivor of stroke. This podcast series is part of Stroke Foundation’s Young Stroke Project.

Beth has a strength and determination that has seen her to go on to smash it after the stroke she suffered when she was 19 years old. She’s organised a major fundraiser for the Stroke Foundation. She has also completed her studies in Nursing and has just begun her first role in the industry.  

She talks about how she accomplished all this whilst dealing with post stroke symptoms such as fatigue and navigating the associated changes to her social life that an event like a stroke brings.

(Special edition) Smashing it after stroke. Episode 5 - Beth Browning

This podcast was created and is hosted by Paul Burns, a young survivor of stroke. This podcast series is part of Stroke Foundation’s Young Stroke Project.
Ash Gordon is a young survivor of stroke and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. In this episode Paul and Ash discuss the early stages of Ash’s stroke and long recovery, getting back to study after his stroke, how the University accommodated him, mental health, goal setting…and more!

(Special edition) Smashing it after stroke. Episode 6 - Ash Gordon

i-REBOUND: Full Chat With Emma Gee

This is the first episode of a series with Letisha and Shannon, both young survivors of stroke.

We discuss how to navigate finances and financial stress after stroke. It's a topic that often isn't talked about and one that Letisha and Shannon hope becomes less taboo.

Letisha is a mother to four boys, one who was born after her stroke. She is passionate about empowering working age survivors of stroke.

And Shannon is a nurse, wife and a mother of two. Shannon previously looked after elderly patients who had survived stroke and was astounded when stroke happened to her and her family.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 8: Finance after stroke

Improving your stroke risk factors can reduce your chance of having another stroke. Some factors you can talk to your doctor about, like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol and atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat. Then there are things that are part of a healthy life, like quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol, and eating well and staying physically active.

In this podcast, we talk about these risk factors, and we'll look at a new website to help stroke survivors to eat well and move more, i-Rebound.

We speak to stroke lived-experience advocate Meredith Burke, researcher and physiotherapist Dina Pogrebnoy, and registered nurse Fi Camino from StrokeLine.

Stroke Foundation #28 - Reducing your stroke risk

This is the third episode of a series with Letisha and Shannon, both young survivors of stroke. In this episode they share how stroke impacted their confidence and what they did to rebuild it.

Letisha is a mother to four boys, one who was born after her stroke. She is passionate about empowering working age survivors of stroke.

And Shannon is a nurse, wife and a mother of two. Shannon previously looked after elderly patients who had survived stroke and was astounded when stroke happened to her and her family.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 11: Confidence after stroke

Paul Burns is a young stroke survivor and host of Smashing it After Stroke.

Paul is back for a second season, this time talking to health professionals and industry leaders. Paul and his guests dive into current thinking on stroke recovery within their respective fields, what’s out there for those with invisible injuries and as usual, he picks up some tips and tricks along the way.  

In episode one, Paul talks to senior neuro physiotherapist Jessica Georgy. Jessica has extensive experience in treating a wide variety of patients with neurological conditions, including people who have experienced a stroke.

Neuro physiotherapists help improve movement for people with neurological conditions, but how it is different to exercise physiology or occupational therapy? How can a neuro physio help after stroke? How can you find one? Paul and Jessica explore these questions and more.

Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/neuro-physiotherapy-smashing-it-after-stroke

Find more Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au

Young Stroke Special: Smashing it after stroke S2E1 – Neuro physiotherapy

Paul Burns is a young stroke survivor and host of Smashing it After Stroke.

Paul is back for a second season, this time talking to health professionals and industry leaders. Paul and his guests dive into current thinking on stroke recovery within their respective fields, what’s out there for those with invisible injuries and as usual, he picks up some tips and tricks along the way.

In episode two, Paul chats to senior exercise physiologist Mark Simpson. Exercise physiology can help with strategies for self-managing chronic or complex conditions.

Mark and Paul dive into managing fatigue after stroke, looking at pacing concepts and how to break out of the boom bust cycle.

Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/exercise-physiology-smashing-it-after-stroke

Find more Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au

Young Stroke Special: Smashing it after stroke S2E2 – Exercise physiology

Stroke can happen at any age. Around 600 children have a stroke in Australia each year. A child’s stroke is a crisis for families.  

In the first episode of the Childhood Stroke Podcast series, we speak to two people with lived experience of childhood stroke to share their stories, challenges, wisdom and tips for other families on the journey. 

Guests: 
•	Dee Banks, a mother, whose child had a stroke in utero. 
•	Mitchell Fenton, a young schoolteacher and survivor of childhood stroke.

Childhood Stroke 01: A lived experience of childhood stroke

Letisha Living is a young survivor of stroke and creator of this 3-part podcast special “Finding purpose after stroke.” In each episode, Letisha explores a different topic that has supported the mental wellbeing of people impacted by stroke. The topics she discusses are volunteering, support groups and creativity.

In this episode, Letisha talks to four survivors of stroke about their different experiences of joining or starting their own support groups. They also talk about the benefits of support groups and how this has positively impacted their mental wellbeing.

Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/support-groups-finding-purpose-after-stroke

Find more Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au

Support groups mentioned in this podcast:
- Working Age Group Stroke (WAGS) https://wags.com.au
- Kings Park Warriors https://kingsparkabiwarriors.org.au
- Maitland Aphasia Communications Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/548780362402961
- Young Stroke Group (YSG) NSW https://www.facebook.com/groups/181491115232510

Find more support groups on EnableMe https://enableme.org.au/community/support-groups

Connect with Letisha’s Stroke Survivors Empowerment Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/369091401132936

Young Stroke Special: Finding purpose after stroke – Support groups

Paul Burns is a young stroke survivor and host of Smashing it After Stroke.

Paul is back for a second season, this time talking to health professionals and industry leaders. Paul and his guests dive into current thinking on stroke recovery within their respective fields, what’s out there for those with invisible injuries and as usual, he picks up some tips and tricks along the way.

In this episode, Paul explores stroke recovery from a different angle. How can technology and AI (artificial intelligence) be used to assist people living with disabilities? Paul is joined by Marius Mathisen from Norway and Matt Giovanello from the US.

Marius and Matt are both CEOs of startups that are exploring innovative assistive technology. They share their own personal stories that inspired their ideas and talk about the current landscape and future of AI and assistive technology.

Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/technology-and-ai-smashing-it-after-stroke

Find more Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au

Young Stroke Special: Smashing it after stroke S2E5 – Technology and AI

Paul Burns is a young stroke survivor and host of Smashing it After Stroke.

Paul is back for a second season, this time talking to health professionals and industry leaders. Paul and his guests dive into current thinking on stroke recovery within their respective fields, what’s out there for those with invisible injuries and as usual, he picks up some tips and tricks along the way.

In this episode, Paul talks to to speech pathologist Emma Power. Emma is a clinician, researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney.

Emma and Paul talk about:
- What speech pathology is.
- Different communication and swallowing impairments.
- The value of communication partner training and where to get it.
- Practical tips to support people with different communication needs.
- Why communication accessibility and inclusivity helps everyone in the community.

Download an aphasia-friendly list of resources mentioned in this podcast: https://enableme.org.au/media/q0gbvof2/radio-podcast-stroke-foundation-support-groups.pdf

Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/speech-pathology-inclusive-communication-smashing-it-after-stroke

Find more Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au

Young Stroke Special: Smashing it after stroke S2E6 – Speech pathology & inclusive communication

Positive sports experiences at an early age have important health and social benefits. Families of survivors of childhood stroke often report being unable to find inclusive activities and sporting organisations in their communities.

In this episode of the Childhood Stroke Podcast series, we speak to a parent and two professionals working to engage young children in sports after childhood stroke. 

Guests:
•	Tony Peacock, a parent to a child who had a stroke and member of Stroke Foundation's Lived Experience Advisory Group.
•	Louise Daniels, a Senior Physiotherapist who is passionate about supporting children with a disability to participate in sporting activities.
•	Dr Olivia Lee, a paediatric rehabilitation consultant who supports families and children to become involved in sports after childhood stroke.

Childhood Stroke 03: Finding sports that spark joy

When a child has a stroke in later childhood or adolescence, they may have been involved in a sport that they loved before their stroke. The impact of stroke or social perceptions can create barriers for young people returning to sport or participating.

In this episode of the Childhood Stroke Podcast series, we speak to a survivor of childhood stroke and two professionals about returning to sport after a stroke and how to overcome some of the barriers young people and their families may face. The episode also covers the Para classification process.

Guests:
•	Tommy Quick, a survivor of childhood stroke, sports fanatic, passionate advocate and member of Stroke Foundation's Lived Experience Advisory Group.
•	Scott Nicholas, Pathways Lead at Paralympics Australia. Identifying and progressing para-athletes along the performance pathway.
•	Nathan Zuzic, a physiotherapist at the Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS), coordinating the accessible sport and recreation program.

Childhood Stroke 04: Access and inclusion in sports

Around 50% of survivors of childhood stroke live with disability, and while some can be seen, children are frequently left with invisible or hidden disabilities. That is, conditions that significantly affect their lives, but aren't always visible to the outside world. Invisible disabilities can include fatigue, cognitive, or thinking difficulties, emotional difficulties, and other neurological issues that can continue long after the stroke occurs. 

In this episode of the Childhood Stroke Podcast, we speak to a survivor of childhood stroke and a neuropsychologist to explore the invisible challenges children face after stroke and support systems available to help them navigate their journey.

Guests:
•	Tala Olins-Miller, a survivor of childhood stroke, physiotherapist and member of Stroke Foundation's Lived Experience Advisory Group.
•	Professor Vicki Anderson, paediatric neuropsychologist with over 25 years' experience working to improve the lives of children with brain injury, including stroke.

Childhood Stroke 05: Invisible Disability

In this episode, David Flood shares his journey of understanding and managing fatigue after stroke.
 
Dave made himself the subject of his Master of Counselling research, exploring his own experience with post-stroke fatigue and how he learned to manage it. He’s now a qualified counsellor who supports other young adult survivors of stroke.
 
Read the transcript at https://enableme.org.au/community/podcasts/young-stroke-podcast-series/understanding-fatigue
 
Find more about managing fatigue, and other Young Stroke stories, tips and resources at https://young.strokefoundation.org.au/life/fatigue

Young Stroke 12: Understanding fatigue

The number one topic stroke survivors ask us about is neuroplasticity, and how to take advantage of the brain’s amazing potential to change itself. But there’s still a lot of confusion about what it actually entails, what to expect, or even who can help you with it. We speak to physiotherapy lecturer Michelle McDonnell, neuroscientist Lavinia Codd, stroke survivor Karen Bayly and occupational therapist Simone Russell about their experience of retraining the brain.

Stroke Foundation #1 - Neuroplasticity

For anyone who’s had a stroke, one of the biggest fears is whether it will happen again. We speak to general practitioner and author Dr Bill Williams, stroke survivor Nikki Mennel and occupational therapist Simone Russell about how not to let that anxiety hold you back. And with Australia’s Biggest Blood Pressure Check underway, we discuss what you can do to reduce your risk.

Stroke Foundation #2 - Fear of a second stroke

People often associate stroke with muscle weakness. After all, that’s one of the F.A.S.T. signs. But after a stroke you can sometimes find your muscles are too tight, leading to stiffness in your legs, arms and fingers. This is what is known as spasticity, and it can cause spasms, it can affect your limb positions and it can be painful.

Stroke Foundation #3 - Spasticity

Communication is a very important part of life. This means that losing the ability to speak can have very big impact. About one-third of stroke survivors have speech and language problems, such as aphasia.

In this podcast, we talk about what it's like living with a communication disorder and what can be done to help.

Stroke Foundation #5 - Aphasia

The majority of stroke survivors will have problems with their upper limbs at some point – that's the arm, shoulder and hand. These problems include weakness, trouble coordinating movements, changes in muscle tone, subluxation, contracture, swelling, and reduced or increased sensation. These make a big difference in your daily life.

In this podcast, we talk about these issues with arms and hands and shoulders, and what you can do for recovery.

Our guests are:  

Dr Annie McCluskey, an occupational therapist, educator and researcher with over 30 years' experience in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation.
Rebecca Schmidt-Lachlan, a young stroke survivor and member of the Stroke Foundation's Consumer Council.
Tahnee Winks, a physiotherapist from the Stroke Foundation's Follow Up service.

Stroke Foundation #10 - Hand, arm and shoulder

Memory forms a big part of our understanding of our experiences and our selves. It's also essential on a smaller scale for simply getting through everyday life. And when you've had a stroke it helps you with your ongoing recovery. But memory is also commonly affected by stroke, and for many people this has a big impact.

In this podcast we will talk about what you can do if you're facing memory problems after stroke. Our guests are:
•	Toni Withiel and David Lawson, Monash University neuropsychology doctoral students and stroke survivors.
•	Dr Rene Stolwyk, clinical neuropsychologist from Monash University.
•	Jan Corcoran, stroke survivor from Far North Queensland.
•	Alana Stewart, speech pathologist from StrokeLine.

Stroke Foundation #11 - Memory

So much of the way we interact with the world and how the world interacts with us is based on vision, so when a stroke affects your sight it can have a very big impact on your life. In this special episode put together with Vision Australia, we talk about how a stroke can affect your eyes and your ability to see, and what your options are if you have vision problems after a stroke. We talk to stroke survivor and Australia’s first blind fashion designer Nikki Hind, orthoptist Nabill Jacob from Vision Australia, and Katherine Yong from StrokeLine.

Stroke Foundation #25 - Vision

Guests: Adrian O’Malley and Beth Browning 
This episode is about the experience of the early stages after stroke. Hear top tips on navigating those challenging early days and living a good life.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 1: “I’ve had a stroke now what?”

Guests: Paul Fink and Nicole Christodoulou 
This episode explores recovery mindset. The word recovery means different things to different people. We know that for most, recovery after stroke is lifelong. It’s a journey, rather than a destination.

Young Stroke Podcast - Episode 2: Recovery mindset

Guests: Bill Gasiamis and Katrina Cunningham 
This episode explores renewal and growth and finding the new normal after stroke. The stroke recovery journey isn’t easy, often with many twists and turns, highs and low. This episode is about navigating that journey, moving through grief and loss to a place of acceptance.

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