Whether they are 25 or 85, stroke survivors in 黑马磁力 have got the moves like Jagger.
Marilyn Pittico, stroke support facilitator, said her group of stroke survivors which meets at Walnut Grove Community Centre are seeing amazing physical progress because they love grooving to the sounds of top 10 songs like Maroon 5鈥檚 Moves Like Jagger and Gotye鈥檚 Somebody That I Used to Know.
It all started because Pittico couldn鈥檛 find the right exercise DVD to use with her group.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to exercise, but there was either terrible music or outdated exercise tapes, or the music was too fast,鈥� said Pittico.
鈥淭hen one day I thought I would let them listen to the music I like that I had on my iPad. I put on 鈥淢oves like Jagger鈥� and they came to life.鈥�
One of the stroke survivors who has been attending Pittico鈥檚 Wednesday sessions for years is just now able to lift his legs up to put his shoes on. His wife credits his enjoyment of the music used in their exercises.
鈥淲e have choreographed moves. It truly is a chair dance,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are doing something that nobody else is doing.鈥�
She also plays Katy Perry鈥檚 Firework.
鈥淭hey just love the music. We play some of the older stuff, too, like Sugar Sugar, but the new music is a hit,鈥� she said.
Pittico will soon mark 18 years of running the 黑马磁力 Stroke Recovery Group, which includes all ages, and a group she created for young stroke survivors after she found that more and more young adults were having strokes.
Now she鈥檚 ready to take the next step, under a new umbrella called 黑马磁力 Community Support Groups Society.
鈥淭his makes it so decisions can be made here in 黑马磁力 and it allows me the growth to take on some extra responsibilities,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can be creative and think outside the box, like with the chair dancing.鈥�
Pittico wants to open up the groups to others who would otherwise not connect to community due to physical disability or chronic illness.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really supportive, loving environment for so many people who feel isolated or don鈥檛 fit in anywhere else,鈥� she said.
People who have Parkinson鈥檚, multiple sclerosis, mild brain injuries, early dementia and other disabilities could be welcome to join her groups. She also wants to eventually open up a group for caregivers so they can find some relief, too.
While there is a caregiver鈥檚 group that meets at the Seniors Centre in 黑马磁力 City, Pittico said there is a need in north 黑马磁力 so people don鈥檛 have to drive so far.
Liz Scrimes has been bringing her husband to the stroke recovery group since 2011 and even though the couple moved to Chilliwack last year, they make the drive once a week.
鈥淢y husband has been really connected with this group. He doesn鈥檛 make friends easily, so this has been so good for him,鈥� said Liz.
鈥淚t鈥檚 three hours that he is there every Wednesday so it gives me a break, too, and allows me to go shopping or visit with old friends.鈥�
Her husband Dan had a stroke at 46 years old. It happened in the shower, where he passed out. Being so young he tried to push past the symptoms and it wasn鈥檛 until a few days later that he ended up in hospital.
He has never been able to work since.
鈥淢arilyn has been so great. I don鈥檛 know how she does it,鈥� said Liz.
This September, Pittico is opening up an additional speech-only group, available to any adult who has speech or communication difficulties. Although she already offers speech therapy, she can now provide it to others who need it, like those who have MS and Parkinson鈥檚.
鈥淲e have no speech therapy in 黑马磁力 for adults. So right now, after someone is discharged from hospital they have to hire a speech therapist at $150 per hour,鈥� she said.
But in the meantime, she does bring in a speech therapist once a month and employs a speech app on the iPads they use.
Pittico is especially proud of the recruitment of University of Fraser Valley kinesiology and occupational therapy students who have dedicated time to volunteer to work with her groups.
鈥淭he huge part of the success of our groups is the mentoring and one-on-one interaction with UFV students. These students are so keen and the value of what they are learning here will help them be better when they go out to work in OT or in phsyio,鈥� she said.
鈥淥ften students go into the field only dealing with acute care. Here they get to see they can offer hope and recovery to stroke survivors,鈥� she said.
UFVC student-volunteer Nav Sohi spent two years volunteering with the stroke recovery groups. He now works with Pittico to recruit new student volunteers.
鈥淚 got to understand and admire the mindset of a stroke survivor,鈥� said Sohi. 鈥淭hey have been through so much, however they develop the mindset of persistence and acceptance to never stop trying to reach their goal.鈥�
Sohi said Pittico is a key to their successes. 鈥淪he is a passionate leader who provides such a great community atmosphere.鈥�
The winner of a Women of Excellence award gave up a career in real estate to dedicate her life to helping stroke survivors after caring for her own father who suffered a stroke. After 18 years, she is just as passionate about bringing hope and recovery than ever before.
鈥淚 just couldn鈥檛 retire and leave the group,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of the members said to me 鈥榊ou lifted me up when I felt I didn鈥檛 fit in anywhere else.鈥� That gives me even more energy to carry on.鈥�
But to make all her dreams for the program a reality, she needs reliable donors. 黑马磁力 Cruise-In has been a steady supporter. And the group recently received a donation from realtors from the 黑马磁力 Homelife Benchmark Realty. She challenges other businesses to do the same. She needs $10,000 to make all her dreams a reality, she said.
For more information call Pittico at 604-882-4672.
