Dear friends, family, colleagues and big-hearted strangers,

Darshan (David Heron) had a major stroke last year. He was a really fit and healthy man, and it came without warning.

He was given a 50/50 chance of survival, and survive he did. After 10 days in the acute ward he left in a wheelchair, heading for rehab. Two major areas were affected – his right side and his ability to speak and write.

Initially he couldn’t move his leg or arm at all. He spent 3 months in rehab, working to regain mobility. When he left, he could walk with a stick, but still couldn’t move his right arm at all. He’s faced so many challenges. It has been heartbreaking to see him lose so much but also inspirational to see how he has fought so hard to regain independence.

The main issue now is speech and communication.

Darshan’s brain damage resulted in severe Aphasia – difficulty understanding speech and difficulty with both reading and writing. To start with he only had one word: “Um”.

Right now, he has at most 10 clear words, none of which hang together well to let him express what he needs, wants or feels.

Of course, this is beyond frustrating. He currently receives 3 thirty-minute speech therapy sessions a week as an outpatient at rehab. He needs so much more to help him communicate, both by speech and writing.

This is why we are crowdfunding for him.

We’ve paid a deposit for Darshan to undertake 3 weeks of Constraint Therapy in Sydney in March. This therapy has been successful for many stroke survivors with similar issues. It will work his motor skills very intensively and focus on giving him functional language, so that he is better able to express himself and really engage with people and the world again. Right now, he is trapped without a voice.

In our current situation, we’re unable to fund the therapy. It’s $6600 for the initial 3 week intensive then $4400 for the recommended 2-week follow-up 3 months later. We’ve also included travel and living costs in our target, and allowed for the commission which is paid for using the crowdfunding service.  

So, we’re asking our friends, family, colleagues – and strangers with big hearts – to chip in for dear Darshan/David.

Thank you. Thank you for helping. We appreciate every contribution that can help his recovery.


Here we are in easier times before the stroke stole Darshan's speech. 

Here is a link to the Constraint Therapy site if you’d like to know more about the treatment.

http://citherapy.com.au/constraint-induced-therapy-for-adults/

And here is the Facebook page we set up for Darshan

www.facebook.com/The-Uniting-States-of-Darshan-1594355607545582/