November 2019

6 & 7. The Power of Love

“…Yes might mean no. The brain is unbelievable.”—Annemarie Albiston

By Laurie Gallardo

One day you wake up and no one can understand you. In 2005, Annemarie Albiston’s father suffered a massive stroke, leaving him diagnosed with aphasia. “It’s a loss of language—not intellect,” Annemarie says. “It robs you of your communication. “It can affect not only your verbal speech but your ability to read and write. My father lost all three. He knew what he wanted to say but couldn’t get it out. Sometimes aphasia can affect comprehension, too, so yes might mean no. The brain is unbelievable.”

Beginnings

Annemarie and her husband, Bruce Albiston, opened Aphasia Center of Maine in 2012 and Adaptive Outdoor Education Center in 2015. The Andre R. Hemond Aphasia Retreat—named in honor of Annemarie’s father—is held every fall. It’s a social gathering to support people living with aphasia; both those diagnosed and their loved ones.

“During one of our first retreats,” Annemarie says, “I had breakfast with a couple. The wife had aphasia and spoke zero words. Her husband stepped out for coffee, so I sat and chatted with her. ‘Do you have children?’ She nodded. ‘How many?’ She held up her fingers. When her husband returned, I casually mentioned she told me they had children. He was shocked. ‘Nobody ever has a conversation with her. How did you do that?’ I’d learned the secret from my father. You love them for the people they are.”

Aphasia Connections hosts cafe get-togethers and fun group activities. “Weekend Craftcations are for making crafts.” Annemarie’s sincere, encouraging smile conveys a warming candor. “But some people don’t give a hoot about doing that. They just want to be together. The whole point is to give people the best quality of life. Everyone we meet has the same story—friends and family desert them. They think aphasia means they’re not the same person anymore, but they are. There’s life after stroke.”

“To do something inclusive for all ages and disabilities, we built the lodge at Sugarloaf,” Bruce says. Enter the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center in Carrabassett Valley. Activities range from rock climbing to skiing. “The folks we work with have had so much therapy in their lives. Instead, we give them experiences they’re going to remember.” Bruce says. “We don’t just go for a sail—we teach people how to sail.”

The Albistons are adding more housing to the lodge. Next stop is an event space in Greater Portland. “We’re trying to grow the number of people we serve,” Bruce says.

“Our youngest [attendee] had a stroke when she was 9. She’s 15 now,” Annemarie says. “We met Emma a few months after her stroke. The first time she came to our retreat, her father had tears in his eyes watching his little girl relax and have fun. Now they’re a huge part of our community. The people here are my heart and soul. Sometimes it’s like being with my dad again. He passed eight and a half years ago. These folks are our family.”