Shirley Rose, ASF Founder.
Shirley Rose and her husband Stan Rose founded a suburban newspaper company in the Kansas City Metropolitan area in 1950. The newspaper grew into 17 different community papers with a circulation of over 100,000. During the 30 years Shirley and Stan ran the paper, Shirley served as partner, business manager and was the first woman in the country to serve as advertising manager for a suburban newspaper. As members of the National Newspaper Association, they traveled to 110 countries meeting with heads of governments and interviewing the “man on the street.” They were in the midst of enjoying their retirement when suddenly, in 1995 in a matter of seconds, their world was turned upside down! From this point on, over the next 2 years Stan suffered with the effects of stroke. Suddenly finding herself as a caregiver, Shirley had a million questions and no answers. Shirley wanted to do something to support a cause that assisted stroke survivors and their caregivers in the Kansas City community. To her surprise she found nothing! So she decided that she wanted fill this void, and created the American Stroke Foundation (ASF) in 1997.
In 1997 the American Stroke Foundation was incorporated, received their 501C3 status, formed an impressive board and created the Mission Statement-- To support stroke survivors, their families, caregivers and friends by providing resources, services, education and information that improves their quality of life.
In 2000 a facility was found, on the premise that if stroke survivors and caregivers could come to a warm, receptive “safe haven” and if they could socialize with their peers and share experiences, this sharing and learning experience would improve the quality of their lives. Instantly stroke survivors began to utilize ASF to relearn activities of everyday living. Since that time, ASF has become the pioneer in mental and physical improvements in stroke survivors and is changing the attitudes of the medical world in how they view stroke, post rehabilitation. Stroke survivors, who have been paralyzed, even wheelchair bound, for years, are now standing and walking. Survivors who had no use of one arm are now moving those arms. Clinicians and physicians from the University of Kansas Medical Center and School of Allied Health, with assistance from other health institutions, have documented these results. Based on preliminary research, the success of the programs of the American Stroke Foundation have already lead to changes in the way in which stroke survivors are treated after their initial post-stroke rehabilitation.
|
