Go Blue for Brandi-Help Brandi Find Her Voice

Please consider donating to Brandi’s GoFundMe campaign and sharing it with your friends, family, and networks. Your support will make a profound difference in Brandi’s life. Thank you for helping Brandi find her voice again!

GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/7e782b99

Hi, my name is Michelle, and I am fundraising for my sister, Brandi Garden, who at the age of 49, suffered a massive stroke a year ago. The stroke left Brandi unable to walk, with complete paralysis in her right arm, and robbed her of her speech.

Brandi has been working on her recovery every single day since she had the stroke last May. She is relearning how to walk and speak again. She climbs a mountain every single day, and we are so proud of her determination to claim her life back.

Immediately following the stroke, we started to hear the term "Non-Verbal.” Not only was she not able to speak, she was unable to communicate by nodding/shaking her head, pointing, and was not able to read. But most troublesome, she couldn’t speak.

What we learned is Brandi’s stroke caused Expressive Aphasia. This is a language disorder resulting from brain injury. It affects Brandi’s ability to process, use, and/or understand language. Aphasia does not affect her intelligence, she is very much aware of everything, and Brandi is still Brandi.

The barrier to communication is the hardest and most emotional part of her recovery. Living in a small rural town in Montana, she is only receiving speech therapy for 1 hour a week which includes a two-hour commute.

GREAT NEWS! We learned Brandi has been accepted into the University of Michigan’s Aphasia Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan with the plan for her to attend this summer. This program is one of the most prominent in the world and is one of only 12 ICAPS (Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program) in the country.

It is very difficult to find this level of intensive and individualized approach to aphasia therapy. With her returning home to Michigan, this is such a blessing for our family to be there to support her and witness firsthand the daily progress she will make!

Brandi will receive five hours a day of highly individualized therapy each day along with group therapy, for a total of 98 sessions. Brandi’s current speech therapist feels this is a perfect time in her recovery to attend this program. She will work not only on speech but overall communication through computer-based therapies. We believe it will be life-changing for Brandi and have a profound impact on her ability to communicate.

The cost of the program is NOT covered by insurance. This GoFundMe is set up to cover the cost of the program, along with travel costs, and housing during her stay in Ann Arbor, MI.

I know Brandi along with her husband, Doug, and children Brittany and Brendan thank you for all the support, love, and continued prayers for their family.

I will continue to update this page with our fundraising efforts, as well as provide updates on her progress in the UofM Aphasia Program.

With heartfelt gratitude more than words can express,

Michelle Ryan (Brandi’s Sister)

#goblueforbrandi