Summary
TRAZANA A. STAPLES ALTERNATIVE STROKE RECOVERY FUND
Intergenerational Wellness Partners for Stroke & Diabetes Awareness, Prevention, Education, Complementary & Alternative Healing Practices Workshops
LIVING LIFE AFTER A STROKE OR CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION
OR
ILLNESS
For some, life after a stroke or chronic health conditions or illnesses can be difficult to adjust. Just as every chronic health condition or illness is different for every person, the adjustments to life are different as well. The goal of this program is to encourage survivors and their caregivers never to give up! Also, our intention is to add a little extra support to the change’s survivors experience in their day-to-day improvements in their lives in terms of awareness, health education, education about conditions such as stroke, aphasia, diabetes, and heart disease and how alternative and complementary therapies can help to improve cognitive and mobility and body functions, healthy eating education, and self-care empowerment for stroke survivors.
Trazana A. Staples Alternative Stroke Recovery Fund was created to provide stroke education, stroke, awareness, prevention, stroke recovery resources, encourage the practices of integrative, alternative, and/or complementary practices such as yoga, tai-chi, massage therapy, chiropractic care, aquatic therapy, meditation, mindfulness, acupuncture, and other healthy life tips to survivors and their caregivers. Trazana A. Staples Alternative Stroke Recovery Fund provides this information and resources to those in communities who would not necessarily have access to, or knowledge of these alternative practices and education.
Our organization has no age restrictions and chronic health conditions can happen to anyone as it affects young and seniors in our communities.
According to HHS.gov, “African Americans are 50 percent more likely to have a stroke (cerebrovascular disease), as compared to their white adult counterparts.”
Our workshops are geared to giving more hope to survivors with an outcome to a better quality of life. Once a survivor is released from physical, occupation and speech therapy, the chances are they are not furthering the therapies, however, if alternative therapies are introduced the survivor will most likely continue them as a way of life and the alternative therapies become a lifestyle to improve their physical, mental, and spiritual conditions for a lifetime.
The purpose for which this organization was created is to foster and develop services that assists the community with resources that are centered on alternative stroke recovery methods, financial assistance, healthy food education, healthy food preparation, and healthy living. Also providing conferences, seminars, support group, and special events through the TRAZANA A. STAPLES ALTERNATIVE STROKE RECOVERY FUND. The mission of the Trazana A. Staples Alternative Recovery Fund is to educate the community on the benefits of these practices for both healing and recovery from a stroke. Along with education of stroke prevention we will provide this information to those who would not necessarily have access to, or knowledge of alternative, complementary, and holistic therapies.
Intergenerational Wellness Partners for Stroke & Diabetes Awareness, Prevention, and Education and Complementary & Alternative Healing Practices program administered by Trazana A. Staples Alternative Stroke Recovery Fund, has partnered with Black Empowerment Works & The United Way of Greater Cincinnati; SOACT (SERVING OLDER ADULTS THROUGH CHANGING TIMES), Walk With Me, LLC, Mind On The Matter, LLC, AZ MediaDesigns LLC and, Wombded Warrior has created a unique seminar series to educate individuals and families residing in Lincoln Heights on ways to prevent and manage health issues/chronic conditions (stroke, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) through lifestyle change and wellness practices. This free interactive workshop series is open to residents who live in Lincoln Heights Ohio and surrounding communities (45215), who are stroke survivors, pre-diabetic, diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or any chronic health issues.
With creating “Intergenerational Partners” our workshops we will incubate a Buddy System while creating a support system for each participant.
This program will begin with the first participants in a 10-month interactive Intergenerational workshop series creating a “Buddy System”. Each “Buddy” will be paired with another person/family, either (senior to youth), and their care giver who are a stroke survivor, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or any chronic health disparity. The workshop series will include education, stroke, diabetes, heart, hypertension, prevention, wellness alternative recoveries and nutrition & cooking, and exercise segment alternating in person and virtual. To participate in these interactive workshops, the participant must sign a permission slip (if applicable), medical waiver and dietary restrictions. Each in person workshop will conclude with a healthy meal and snack that will meet once a month for 10 months and two monthly “Buddy “check ins. The orientation for this interactive workshop series will begin with a meet and greet for the first 20 participants and end with a graduation banquet after the 10 months have been completed.
In between the workshops the “Health Partners” or “Buddies” will be paired to have two or more monthly conversations to share notes, and selfcare experiences. The “Buddies” will be communicating in between the workshops regarding their progress with one another. It is our hope that the relationships that are formed will foster a new connection for support and lifetime friendships.
These interactive workshops will have guest professionals providing training, education, and materials for the various subject matters and disciplines as well as providing round-trip transportation to participants without transportation to in person gatherings.
According to Health Equity in Hamilton County Report published by the Hamilton County Public Health Department in 2022, “African Americans suffer disproportionately from a range of disease conditions. It is important to learn and identify these disparities. In Ohio African Americans have a lower life expectancy than their white counterparts. During the COVID-19 pandemic many differences arose between races and terms of numbers of cases, vaccination, uptake and access to care.”
The goal of this program is to encourage survivors and their caregivers never to give up! Also, our intention is to add a little extra support to the change’s survivors experience in their day-to-day improvements in their lives in terms of awareness, health education, education about conditions such as stroke, aphasia, diabetes, and heart disease and how alternative and complementary therapies can help to improve cognitive and mobility and body functions, healthy eating education, and self-care empowerment for those who are seeking to improve their health conditions.
We are motivated by this work because the founder of this organization is a stroke survivor!
Trazana A. Staples is native of Cincinnati Ohio. She is a product of Avondale, Kennedy Heights, Lincoln Heights, and Forest Park. She holds a Master of Environmental Law and Policy Degree from Vermont Law School, Bachelor of Science degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Management and Human Relations, and an Associates of Science Degree from Xavier University, Ohio, in Criminal Justice. In addition, she is an alumnus of Class 31 in the Neighborhood Leadership Institute Cleveland. She is a longtime advocate for healthy food, food security, community, and environmental sustainability. She is also an author, songwriter, and ecopreneur.
On October 3, 2017, she survived a massive cryptogenic stroke accompanied with aphasia. Due to the stroke, she lost all of her material possessions and could not continue employment, she did however, maintained for her will to live and improve her condition. Integrative wellness practices continue to help her achieve better every day and regain some of her mobility and cognitive deficits she suffered due to the stroke. To reinvent herself, she is fulfilling her passion to help support and teach communities about stroke awareness and chronic health conditions that plague the Black Community, by teaching the benefits of integrative health practices by incorporating a healthier lifestyle in our daily lives. As well as providing healthy food and nutritional education, while enlightening all to a natural healthy way of living.
Our board of directors comprises of two stroke survivors and a young person. We recognize and understand traumatic health conditions can happen to anyone at any time, regardless age, gender, economics, or a race. However, recovery and wellness or not easily identified or reachable by all persons in every community, therefore we are bringing our knowledge of these practices to our communities.
Intergenerational Wellness Partners for Stroke & Diabetes Awareness,
Prevention, Education, Complementary & Alternative Healing Practices
Workshop Series is supported by:
Trazana A. Staples, M.E.L.P.
Trazana A. Staples Alternative Stroke Recovery Fund
trazanastaples.com
tasasrfund@gmail.com
(216) 339-2710
