On 25 August 2020, Terence Ang’s life changed in an instant. A haemorrhagic stroke left him with aphasia, robbing him of his ability to speak or comprehend language. Once articulate, confident and expressive, Terence suddenly found himself unable to do what he had always taken for granted, communicate. But even in the silence, he was not alone. His sister Angela, brother-in-law Yew Teck, and his partner stood by him through the confusion and emotional darkness. Alongside them were doctors,...

On November 2017, my husband Eddie suffered a stroke at home. I found him collapsed on the floor that evening and immediately called 995. The paramedics confirmed it was a stroke and rushed him to the hospital. Overwhelmed and in tears, I called my sisters, who came quickly to support me and prepare me for Eddie’s long and uncertain road to recovery. At home, I sat with my two sons to plan how we could care for Eddie. Balancing work and daily hospital visits was exhausting. One morning, Eddie...

In September 2019, my 73-year-old mother suffered an ischemic stroke. She had a history of atrial fibrillation and eventually passed from Vascular Dementia in 2022.  Following her stroke, my mother was immediately impacted by limited mobility and cognitive decline. I became my mother’s primary caregiver overnight and spent almost every single day by her side for the final three years of her life. We were fortunate to have had an amazing team of clinicians, nursing and allied health...