West Lothian man with same brain condition as Bruce Willis speaks of the impact on his life

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A West Lothian man who has the same debilitating condition that forced actor Bruce Willis to retire has spoken about how it impacts his daily life.Scott Gardner (51) developed aphasia after experiencing stroke in 2021.Aphasia is a form of brain damage which affects the ability to understand or produce words.

The condition rose in prominence last year after it was announced the Die Hard star has it.This Aphasia Awareness Month, Scott is joining Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) to call on high street businesses and service providers to join them in their efforts to improve support for people with the serious communication difficulty, aphasia and raise awareness of this condition.The charity wants to raise awareness of the challenges people with the condition face doing everyday things such as shopping in the supermarket, taking public transport or visiting local services like libraries and sports centres.Aphasia is a common symptom following a stroke and affects 1 in 3 stroke survivors.

Around 2,400 people are diagnosed with aphasia every year.People with aphasia may find that they have difficulty thinking of the right words, put words in the wrong order, spell incorrectly or mix up words, or struggle to understand what people are saying.

They may also find that they slur or mumble, and in extreme cases, people with aphasia may be unable to speak at all.People with aphasia have told CHSS they are frustrated that more people don’t understand the condition and they often feel anxious about going about their daily lives.Scott’s stroke two years ago resulted in physical disability and aphasia.