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families and caregivers. But Judy soon realized
the Stroke Club just wasn’t right for everyone.
“Some people may not be comfortable in
a big group, but they would be comfortable
with one-on-one interaction,” she says. The
Power of 2 program was designed to do just
that—provide the very personal connection
some stroke survivors need. Volunteer
mentors take a four-hour training course,
and Judy works hard to make thoughtful
matches with new stroke survivors.
Judy volunteered to be the first mentor in
the Power of 2 program. She was matched
with stroke survivor Karla Balch-Reno.
“I didn’t realize that I really needed
a mentor at first,” Karla says. “Now I
realize what a difference it can make to
have someone who really gets what you’ve
experienced be there to support you and
share those challenges with you.”
Alexander Katcheves, MD, is the director
of AAMC’s Stroke
Center. He says the
Power of 2 program
offers care beyond what
medicine can provide.
“A stroke itself is
quick,” he says. “What
comes slowly is a
patient’s realization
that it has affected their
whole life and that they now have a long-
term disability.” And, says Dr. Katcheves,
“Having someone to talk to, who has been
through it too, shows them there is a way
to overcome, a way to make it back and be
part of society again.”
Giving as good as he got
As for Ray Torreon, in the hospital after his
stroke, he made a life-changing decision. “I
made myself a promise that if I ever got out
of this bed, I would try to come back to this
floor and help the patients so they wouldn’t
feel isolated, alone and afraid,” he says.
Ray has been true to his word. Eighteen
months after his stroke, he’s an active
volunteer at the center. His passion is
helping stroke patients by interacting with
them using the Wii video game system.
“Here at the hospital they put a Wii
gaming console on a cart, and I wheel it
into a patient’s room and ask, ‘Do you want
to play a game?’”
While there’s no data on whether Wii
is good for healing, it’s clear Ray brings
companionship and fun to the daily
routine. He has also been matched with
a new stroke patient in the Power of 2
program—a lobbyist like himself. Ray, a
man built on words, already knows just
where to begin the conversation: “I can say,
‘I know how you feel. I’ve been where you
are. It’s going to be OK.’”
The next thing he knew, Ray was in
the hospital struggling to form basic
sentences. Even though he was surrounded
by medical professionals, he says he felt
isolated and alone.
“I was fearful for my future and what
my life would be,” he says. “I was afraid I
would be a burden to my family.”
Judy Crane, 56, knows that feeling well.
Judy is also a stroke survivor. She describes
the rehabilitative care she received at
AAMC as “just phenomenal” but says she,
too, struggled with feelings of isolation.
“I really, really needed to be able to talk
to somebody who had experienced this,”
she says. “The medical and rehab staff were
wonderful, my family was wonderful, but
I just needed that connection to somebody
who knew what I was going through.”
What Judy didn’t know then is that she
would one day provide that support to
others. She now runs and volunteers as a
mentor in the AAMC Stroke Center’s peer
mentorship program, the Power of 2. The
program matches recent stroke survivors
with mentors who themselves have
experienced a stroke.
Help from people who’ve
been there
The idea for the Power of 2 program
developed gradually. About a year after
suffering a stroke, Judy began serving
as a patient advisor on AAMC’s stroke
committee. Eventually she helped create the
Stroke Club. The club is a popular monthly
support group for stroke survivors and their
Alexander
Katcheves, MD
Visit
askAAMC.org/Powerof2
to learn more about AAMC’s peer mentorship program for stroke patients.
Ray Torreon built his career with words. “My speech
was my trade,” this former Capitol Hill lobbyist and
businessman says. “I never struggled for words. That
was who I was.” Then, one night, at the age of 46, Ray
suffered a stroke.
Stroke survivors Judy Crane (left) and Karla
Balch-Reno recovered with help from the
one-on-one mentorship program.
