Stroke sufferers get help from Teesside

Students at the University of Teesside have taken part in a community project to help those who have suffered a stroke.

Working with the The Stroke Association and a nurse from a stroke rehabilitation centre in Gateshead, 25 students from the BSc (Hons) Crime Scene Science degree course have recorded passages from a book designed to help people deal with the aftermath of a stroke. The book, called Shattering Thoughts, features writing and poems from stroke suffers and family members which aims to help people come to terms with a stroke. The tape will be handed out free of charge to patients in stroke rehabilitation units across the region.

Ian Pepper, Crime Scene Lecturer, said: “It’s important for our students to take part in community related projects, so when we were asked to be involved in this, they didn’t hesitate. Stroke suffers often have impaired vision, so a tape of this special book will be very useful and I’m very proud that they have been a part of the project.”

Angela Caulfield, a Staff Nurse at the Gateshead Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s stroke rehabilitation unit, came up with the idea for the tape knowing it had excellent recording facilities. She said: “The book itself is very emotional and moving and it can sometimes take quite a while for a patient to get through it because there is a lot to consider and contemplate. I think the students have given a real voice to it and I’m sure that many people will find the tape invaluable.”

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