Steve Smith joins our Board of Trustees
Steve Smith built his career around communication.
As a motivational speaker and the owner of Anthem Engagement, speaking wasn’t just his passion - it was his livelihood. But in November 2021, while on holiday in Florida with his wife, Karen, Steve’s world changed in an instant.
He had been feeling unwell for some time, attributing it to a stressful career which saw him working for up to 16-hours a day for over 20 years. Steve brushed off his symptoms without ever visiting the GP, but as the couple prepared to leave Orlando, things took a sudden turn for the worst. Aged 50, Steve collapsed at the airport, feeling weak on his right-hand side. Karen and a fellow passenger quickly called 911.
Steve had suffered a severe stroke.
Doctors warned that the next 48 hours were critical as his blood pressure had reached dangerously high levels. He spent the next eight weeks in hospital in Florida, undergoing intensive occupational, physio and speech and language therapy. Fortunately, his travel insurance covered the staggering $680,000 medical bill. In early 2022, he was finally able to return home to Lancashire and continue his recovery.
“After my stroke, I could only say one word, and I couldn’t walk,” Steve recalled. “It was so serious that therapists told me I’d never walk or talk again.”
The damage to the left side of Steve's brain left him with Aphasia.
As someone who had made a living through speaking, the impact was devastating. For months, he could not talk, feeling self-conscious about his speech. But over time, Steve found the courage to push forward.
“It was awful but the last few months I’m speaking again and enjoying it. What works well is having every day conversations – the more I do it, the more confident I get."
It took him 18 months to regain mobility and rebuild his speech.
Now, Steve is determined to inspire others with Aphasia to keep speaking, even when it feels difficult. “I proved the professionals wrong. They said I’d never walk or talk again—but the brain is amazing. It can adapt, and you can too.”
Steve recently returned to work with the help of his daughter who has taken a leadership role across NWEEG and Anthem Engagement. He's a prominent businessman and uses his LinkedIn platform to openly share his inspiring story, raising much-needed awareness. During Steve's rehabilitation, he founded a local peer support group for people with Aphasia. The group meet regularly at Blackburn Rovers Football Club, using technology to deliver long-term support.
Steve is a true advocate for the Aphasia community.
As a newly appointed trustee for Aphasia Support, he joins us on our mission to create a world where every person with Aphasia has access to support and can communicate with confidence. Steve's helping to bring Aphasia Support to Lancashire and beyond, and we're thrilled to have him onboard.
