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In this special episode recorded live at the International Stroke Conference (ISC25), we dive into the American Stroke Association’s pilot program, Stroke Connections. This initiative is designed to amplify the voices of stroke survivors and caregivers, ensuring their lived experiences are heard at the conference—a group that has historically been underrepresented in stroke research and advocacy.
Join me as I chat with Stephanie Mohl, National Vice President of the American Stroke Association, and two inspiring stroke survivors and advisory committee members, Gracie Doran and Michelle Ballasiotes (previous guest on Episode 55). We discuss how the Stroke Connections pilot is bridging the gap between research and lived experience, and the importance of community and advocacy for improving stroke care.
While the program is still in its early stages, the goal is to secure sponsors to expand and make survivor perspectives a permanent part of future conferences.
Takeaways from this episode:
- The International Stroke Conference is a critical platform for both research and survivor voices.
- Incorporating survivor experiences into research and conferences can lead to more impactful stroke care and advocacy.
- The Stroke Connections program provides an opportunity to amplify the voices of survivors and caregivers in shaping stroke care and research.
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Show credits:
Music intro credit to Jake Dansereau. Our intro welcome is the voice of Caroline Goggin, a stroke survivor and our first podcast guest! Please listen to her inspiring story on Episode 2 of the podcast.
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Our podcast and media advertising services are for informational purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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The Know Stroke Podcast is presented by co-hosts Mike Garrow (stroke caregiver) & David Dansereau (stroke survivor). Listen back to Episode 1 of the podcast to hear our personal stories of how stroke impacted our lives and sparked a mission to amplify the voices, contributions, and achievements of change makers in stroke care.
Our Mission: Empowering stroke survivors and their care teams to take control of life after stroke.
Co-Hosts Profiles:
David Dansereau is a stroke survivor and the founder of Know-Stroke.org - a community for patients with stroke and PFO. His story was featured in the NY Times.
A licensed physical therapist, nutritionist, and clinical PT consultant, David has a keen interest to explore the intersection of stroke rehabilitation and digital therapeutics to expand the reach of post stroke therapy and improve patient outcomes. He is a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place) certified specialist and is the founder of SmartMovesPT a digital health and rehab tech consulting company based in Rhode Island.
David is also an Amazon best selling author with the publication of his preventive medicine book, Body in Balance.
Michael Garrow grew up as a caregiver for his mother who had a stroke at age 28. He earned his graduate degree from Griffith College Dublin and spent the early stage of his career in Dublin, Ireland working in the health tech space as a market research analyst and then moving into a wellness start-up. Michael currently resides in NYC working as a Senior Digital Product Manger with CVS Health.
