BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke in the U.S. Patients and their loved ones feel the aftermath.
Without care of their own, caregivers of stroke survivors can quickly burn out. A Middlebury family helps them stay afloat.
In the fall of 2018, Trent Campbell was a decorated photographer with the Addison Independent. Then, he had a stroke, “It feels like a big part of my life was taken away.”
Two more strokes followed, affecting his walking, muscle use, eating, and even his ability to express emotions.
Now, photography is a hobby. One constant in Campbell’s life, his wife Nikki Juvan. “It’s different, you know. And I know for him, it’s hard because he knows what it used to be,” said Juvan.
From long hospital visits to nightly meals, she’s his rock. “It’s been life-changing. I’ve had to rely on Nikki for so many things,” said Campbell.
It was a life-changing shift for Juvan, too. “It was sort of an out-of-the-blue, complete shock to us, and kind of opened up this new world of healthcare and insurance and rehab and advocating for his care,” said Juvan.
Her next plan of action: a new peer support group through UVM Medical Center. It’s a mix of new and longtime caregivers of someone who’s had a stroke.
“We’re in such different places, but we all can share information and help each other out,” said Juvan.
A UVMMC nurse practitioner who helped kickstart the group says there are lots of support services for stroke victims, but few for caregivers. That can mean they fall to the wayside. “A lot of times they kind of ignore their own personal upkeep, not going to see physicians, not going to their appointments, just not doing daily self-care,” said UVMMC nurse practitioner Nancy Malhotra
The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Fanny Allen and over Zoom.
Juvan invites all stroke caregivers to join. She hopes to support as many as possible while finding support herself. “The hope is that it will continue to grow, that the word will get out, and that will be able to…celebrate the victories, because that’s really important.”
You can learn more about strokes and find resources for help through Stroke Awareness Vermont, created by Juvan and her daughter Hannah.
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