David's Story

David was a completely independent, active, and social father, Naval Reservist, and husband when his life changed out of the blue. David was helping a friend remove a tree and had climbed up into the branches when he experienced a stroke.

This sudden event shocked David and his family because he was only in his early 40s at the time. David served in the Navy for 17.5 years with several overseas deployments. He was still in the reserves and thinking about deploying again. As a civilian, he was working as the Maintenance Supervisor at the Mitsubishi chemical plant. He worked on cars for fun, and also painted and sketched as a way to calm and re-center. However, all of this changed when the stroke took away his speech and his strength and mobility on the right side of his body.

Initially, he expected to have a fast and promising recovery due to his young age; however, his progress quickly plateaued. He was unable to return to work and do many of the hobbies he once enjoyed. On top of the physical challenges, David faced new social challenges. Many of David’s friendships dwindled because he was not able to talk with them. This social change proved to be the most difficult obstacle for him.

David enrolled at Turnstone for speech therapy shortly after his stroke. After learning more about Turnstone’s comprehensive services, he began receiving physical and occupational therapies. Thanks to his persistence with his Turnstone therapy team, he saw great progress in his mobility and went from using a wheelchair, to walking without assistance! In speech therapy, he has started experimenting with an alternative augmented communication (AAC) device, but primarily communicates using gestures and other non-verbal cues. Though he made progress physically and in his communication, the social isolation had not yet improved.

After graduating from occupational and physical therapy, he was referred to Turnstone’s Fitness and Aquatic Center and Adult Day Services. These programs allowed David to socialize and maintain his progress. In the Fitness Center, David works out independently using the adaptive strength training equipment and follows a workout plan that was created for him by Turnstone’s specially trained fitness staff. In the Adult Day Services program, David socializes with a new group of friends and enjoys activities like painting, cooking, trivia, and card games.

“[David] has made friends and the staff is so patient in communicating with him and trying to figure out what he is trying to say. He can go down the hall and say hello to everyone. In the beginning, when he had his stroke, there was no one around but, ever since starting here, he looks forward to it because he has a group of friends again,” said David’s wife, Kim.

Well-known at Turnstone for his artistic abilities, David adapted his painting technique after his stroke. He transitioned from painting with his dominant right hand to his left and found a new voice through his art. He regularly has the opportunity to hone his skills through Adult Day Services’ arts programming where his paintings, once only painted in black, white and grey, now bloom with colors. This is a testament to the positive transformation in his mental health. Because of his artistic talents that he practices at Turnstone, David has had the opportunity to contribute to a public mural located in downtown Fort Wayne at 436 East Wayne Street.

“David has been involved in a lot of programs here at Turnstone, but no matter what activity he has been involved in, all of the staff is nice, friendly, patient, and understanding. He was taken into the tribe almost immediately. He became friends with everyone right away,” said Kim.

David is still a motivated and active individual who knows exactly what he wants out of life. Now, at Turnstone, he has found a place where he can enthusiastically, and independently, pursue his goals. Where the skies were once grey, David decided to paint them blue. Though some clients measure their success at Turnstone through their physical results, David’s success can be measured by his newfound friendships and the joy he spreads all through the building.