In June 1994 and at age 36, Steve Mallory had a brainstem stroke that
resulted in quadriplegia and a severe speech impairment. Steve has since
dedicated his life to helping other stroke survivors, with the tremendous
support of his wife, daughters, faith, and online stroke support group.
Steve
is President and CEO of the Stroke Network, a non-profit organization
aimed at providing on-line support to survivors of stroke and stroke
caregivers. Their services include mailing lists, chat sessions, and
message boards. Other resources include a monthly newsletter, bookshop,
articles, links, and handbook written by experienced stroke caregiver
members for new stroke caregivers. Finally, a related website (Stroke
Awareness) highlights stroke prevention tips, stroke warning signs,
and statistics. Additionally, stroke awareness quilts can be used for
displays to raise awareness.
In addition to running his website, Steve writes articles and does
web design. He types using a head pointer (Headmaster by Prentke
Romich, Inc.) and an on-screen keyboard (WiViK2).
He has adequate finger muscle control for clicking a mouse. The process
begins with him moving his head against a power switch on his wheelchair
to activate his head pointer. Then, with his hand on a mouse, he moves
the cursor by moving his head. The head pointer signals the new position
to the mouse, and Steve can click the mouse to make a choice. To enhance
his speed, he uses the keyboard’s word prediction.
Before his stroke, Steve was an Aerospace Engineer and traveled on business
all over the world. He attributes his perseverance and acceptance of his
physical limitations to having seen “places that others can only
imagine,” and many “wonders that God gave us.” To learn
more about Steve, please visit his staff page on the Stroke Network where
he writes:
"I want to dedicate the rest of my life to
helping other stroke survivors get their on-line life started because
it makes me so happy to show them that there **IS** life after having
a stroke. I feel very driven about assisting my stroke brothers and
sisters with finding support and resources on-line. It is hard to
explain but I know that this is God's plan for me and little did I
know it, especially right after my stroke, but it always has been.
I am a strong believer that using the computer heals the brain by
using and exercising it."
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