‘A stroke completely wiped out my ability to speak’

Greenhough now runs the Say Aphasia group in Gloucestershire, attendees of which have varying speech and language abilities.

The charity was set up by Lyall, who is still unable to read and write after developing aphasia following a stroke 13 years ago.

“It’s a fog,” Lyall said of aphasia. “After two years, my fog was lifted.

“This is my life. I can’t do my job anymore because I can’t read, can’t write, and it’s just too complicated. So, after two years, I decided to do the charity.”

Lyall said he focuses on staying positive about the things he can do and his charity, which now has more than 30 support groups across the UK, is one of those things.