Blue Sheet Club

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by Greg Goldberg — Founder of The Blue Sheet Club

The Blue Sheet Club is a group that meets weekly at Mary Cridge Manor, and is a program of The Cridge Centre for the Family Brain Injury Services. At The Blue Sheet Club, we strive to improve the quality of life for those impacted by brain injury. We look to provide strategies to improve their abilities after an injury.

A guideline for The Blue Sheet Club is that survivors are to be respected and honored for the challenges they are dealing with and be provided with strategies to realize their untapped potential to live as accepted individuals while being a part of a strong, loving and understanding community.

Pat Day is a survivor who is striving as a result of his participation at the Blue Sheet Club. Pat, 62, is a stroke survivor who suffers from apraxia (a speech disorder in which a person has trouble saying what he wants to say correctly and consistently) and is paralyzed on the right side of his body, seriously impairing his mobility.

For several years, Pat has been participating in The Blue Sheet Club.  As a recipient of this service, he has improved immensely through social interaction and taking part in a variety of field trips with other survivors, developing strong friendships along the way. He has regained confidence as his social skills and speech improve, making it easier to communicate his thoughts and desires.

“Coming to the Blue Sheet Club on a regular basis keeps me busy and productive. That wouldn’t happen if I stayed at home all day.” says Pat.

As well, Pat has experienced a vast improvement in his reading skills. When asked about further pursuing his reading goals, he commented, “I hope to get more comfortable reading aloud because reading to myself now is a cinch. Practice, practice, practice.”

As no two brain injuries are alike, survivors experience different impairments, strengths and / or deficits.  At The Cridge Centre for the Family Brain Injury Services – Blue Sheet Club, we support survivors where they are at.  They may be encountering challenging physical, mental and / or emotional impairments.  No matter.  The only thing that members of The Blue Sheet Club need to do is participate, share their smiles and thoughts of new hope, and be inspired for their recovery which will lead to a productive life once again.  And as Pat has demonstrated despite challenging setbacks, with the right attitude, all survivors of a brain injury can succeed.