When Carolyn Shorley visits patients on Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Integrated Stroke Unit, she brings something that can’t be prescribed: a deep personal understanding.
In March 2020, at just 44 years old, Carolyn suffered a stroke that changed everything. Her initial symptoms didn’t include the typical warning signs of slurred speech, facial droop or arm weakness, but within days of being admitted to hospital she could no longer walk, write or wash her hair. She lost feeling on her left side and experienced aphasia, which made it difficult to find her words, and dysarthria, a speech disorder that left her voice high-pitched and monotone.
Her recovery was long and often isolating. Carolyn spent a month in hospital and seven months in rehabilitation, relearning how to walk, talk and regain movement in her hand. There were moments she thought progress was impossible, but step by step, word by word, she found her way forward.
Today, Carolyn is a proud volunteer with March of Dimes Canada (MODC) and the After Stroke Hospital Peer Connections Program, an initiative newly introduced at RVH in partnership with the Central East Stroke Network. The program connects people who have experienced a stroke and caregivers who are further along in their recovery with those still in hospital, offering comfort and encouragement during a time that can feel overwhelming — something Carolyn knows firsthand.
“The physicians, nurses and therapists are incredible, but they likely haven’t been in your position,” says Carolyn. “When a peer sits beside you and says, ‘I’ve been there,’ it changes everything. You don’t feel so alone anymore.”
Peer volunteers are trained to listen, share their experiences and offer practical insights drawn from their own recovery. They visit one-on-one with patients and loved ones, offering hope and connection through honest conversation. Volunteers also connect patients and families to After Stroke, a community-based support program from March of Dimes Canada that offers personalized recovery resources and guidance to help those who have experienced a stroke, and caregivers navigate life after stroke.
During her visits, Carolyn uses her own experience to help others find hope through personal stories of her successes, setbacks and offering reassurance. She also provides small but meaningful suggestions like using a phone grip to make handling a cellphone easier or encouraging patients to connect frequently with friends through video calls to practice speaking, rebuild communication skills and gain confidence.
For Carolyn, volunteering through March of Dimes has given new meaning to her own recovery.
“March of Dimes is another kind of family,” she says. “One that understands where you’re coming from and what your future might hold. You’re still you, just a new version of yourself. And they help you learn to love that person too.”
RVH plays a leading role in advancing stroke care across the region as the Enhanced District Stroke Centre for Simcoe County. Through its participation in the Central East Stroke Network, the health centre provides coordinated emergency response, inpatient care and outpatient rehabilitation. Each year, the team saves lives and supports hundreds of patients on their journey to recovery by helping them regain quality of life after stroke.
“Programs like Hospital Peer Connections show that exceptional care means supporting the whole person, not just the condition,” says Leanne Weeks, RVH Vice President of Clinical and Chief Nursing Executive. “With the generous support of volunteers like Carolyn, we’re bringing lived experience to the bedside and helping patients feel seen, understood and supported through every step of recovery.”
Carolyn’s visits are a reminder that recovery is possible and that life after stroke, though different, can be every bit as meaningful. Her visits are especially poignant as RVH marks World Stroke Day on October 29, a time to raise awareness about stroke prevention, early recognition and recovery.
For more information on March of Dimes Canada’s After Stroke Program please visit afterstroke.ca or contact afterstroke@marchofdimes.ca.
If you have been impacted by stroke and would like to become a peer support volunteer for Hospital Peer Connections, please contact Michelle Foster at (705) 627-7831 or by email at mfoster@marchofdimes.ca.
