Understanding Perinatal Stroke: Causes, Symptoms, and Management
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on perinatal stroke, which affects newborns and infants, their families, and caregivers. This article delves into the intricate details of perinatal stroke, including its causes, symptoms, and effective management strategies. We aim to provide you with a well-rounded understanding of this condition and equip you with valuable insights to navigate the challenges it presents.
What is Perinatal Stroke?
Perinatal stroke, also known as neonatal stroke, refers to a disruption in the blood supply to a baby’s brain that occurs either before, during, or immediately after birth. This can result from various factors, including blood clotting disorders, infections, and issues during fetal development. The consequences of perinatal stroke can vary widely, impacting a child’s neurological development and overall quality of life.
Causes of Perinatal Stroke
Perinatal strokes can stem from various factors affecting the developing brain. Some potential causes include:
Blood Clotting Disorders: Conditions that affect blood clotting can increase the risk of strokes in newborns. These disorders may be genetic or acquired.
Infections: Maternal infections during pregnancy can lead to inflammation and affect the blood vessels in the developing fetus’s brain.
Vascular Issues: Abnormalities in blood vessels, such as narrowing or blockages, can restrict blood flow to the brain and trigger strokes.
Heart Problems: Congenital heart defects can lead to the formation of blood clots that may travel to the brain and cause strokes.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Identifying perinatal stroke can be challenging due to the limited communication abilities of newborns. However, some common symptoms include:
Seizures: Newborns experiencing seizures may be exhibiting signs of perinatal stroke. Seizures can manifest as twitching, rhythmic movements, or loss of consciousness.
Weakness or Paralysis: One side of the body may appear weaker or paralyzed compared to the other.
Difficulty Feeding: Babies with perinatal stroke might have trouble feeding due to oral-motor problems.
Developmental Delays: As the child grows, developmental delays in speech, motor skills, and cognitive abilities may become evident.
Diagnosing perinatal stroke often involves combining neuroimaging techniques, medical history analysis, and thorough physical examinations. Early diagnosis is crucial to implementing effective interventions.
Management and Treatment
The management of perinatal stroke requires a multidisciplinary approach involving pediatric neurologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, and other healthcare professionals. Treatment strategies may include:
Physical Therapy: Physical therapy helps improve affected infants’ motor skills, muscle strength, and coordination.
Occupational Therapy: This therapy focuses on enhancing the child’s ability to perform daily activities and develop fine motor skills.
Speech Therapy: Speech therapists assist in addressing speech and communication challenges that may arise due to perinatal stroke.
Medications: In some cases, medicines may be prescribed to manage seizures or prevent blood clot formation.
Conclusion
Perinatal stroke is a complex and challenging condition that requires early detection and comprehensive management. By understanding its causes, symptoms, and available treatments, we can make informed decisions that positively impact the lives of affected infants and their families. Remember, each child’s journey is unique, and a tailored approach to care can significantly affect their developmental outcomes.
Recovery After Stroke Episode 265
Clara Woods is a Perinatal Stroke Survivor and an artist who has exhibited her work in Florence, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
02:44 Not a typical recovery after stroke podcast interview
06:09 Perinatal Stroke
12:53 Taking the win whenever you can
20:48 Raising money for support services
34:22 How to dream big with adversity
40:57 What is the purpose of the podcast?
53:08 Clara’s website
1:04:50 Dealing with ADHD
1:16:46 Advice on how to prepare for school
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 0:00
Carlo is now terrible because he’s opened. I don’t know what sweets.
Bill Gasiamis 0:07
Carlo, how are you? This is a podcast, or don’t you guys understand that podcasts are serious? We can’t be interrupting all the time.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 0:19
I’m ashamed.
Bill Gasiamis 0:24
Carlo, what’s that biscuit?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 0:25
It’s from the Girl Scouts here in America. They sell many of them, and someone brings us because both have ADHD.
Carlo Genovesi 0:48
So there’s not enough sugar in the house?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 0:52
There are drinks, but everyone brings ice cream, so it’s impossible for all the fathers to get their ice cream.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:02
They don’t get fat. This is the thing I get, but they don’t.
Bill Gasiamis 1:11
Wow.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:12
Amore, you can say a little bit yourself.
Bill Gasiamis 1:19
Is Carlo going to join us?
Carlo Genovesi 1:22
Yes, Clara was kicking me away.
Intro 1:30
This is the Recovery after Stroke podcast. With Bill Gasiamis, it is helping you navigate recovery after a stroke.
Bill Gasiamis 1:42
Hello, and welcome to the Recovery after Stroke podcast. If you are a stroke survivor with a story about your experience, join me on the show. This is the perfect time for you to join me on the front and share your stroke story.
Bill Gasiamis 1:58
The interviews are not scripted; you do not have to plan for them. All you need to do to qualify is a stroke survivor who wants to share your story in the hope that it will help somebody else going through something similar.
Bill Gasiamis 2:11
Now, if you’re a researcher and you have some information you’d like to share about a recent study, some findings, whatever it is. You’re looking to recruit people into your studies, perhaps you might also wish to reach out and be a guest on my show if you have a commercial product that is stroke-related that you would like to promote.
Bill Gasiamis 2:30
There also is a path for you to join me on a sponsored show episode. So feel free to reach out. Now, go to recoveryafterstroke.com/contact and fill out the contact form, explaining briefly which category you belong to.
Not a typical recovery after stroke podcast interview
Bill Gasiamis 2:44
And I will respond with more details about connecting via Zoom. In today’s episode, I am joined by Betina Genovesi, Clara Woods, and Carlo Genovesi. Now, Clara Woods is a stroke survivor who experienced her stroke in utero 17 years ago; she wasn’t even born yet.
Bill Gasiamis 2:45
With the support of her family, she has overcome immense odds and become an artist who has exhibited her work in Europe, Japan, and the United Kingdom. She is looking forward to the next exhibition the family hopes will take place in New York.
Bill Gasiamis 3:22
Now, this interview started quite commonly; it was pretty structured the way I always do my interviews, and soon enough, the discussion became something out of my worst nightmares, when usually, I wouldn’t be comfortable with an interview being interrupted by so many people in so many ways.
Bill Gasiamis 3:45
But in this case, it was the perfect way for you to experience Clara’s family, the way Betina and Carlo run the household. And I felt like I was visiting their home rather than having an interview with them.
Bill Gasiamis 4:02
So we get interrupted by cookies, we get interrupted by text messages that are pranking Mum, and we get interrupted by the need for Carlo to distribute cookies for people to eat. It is just unbelievable. And it’s not usually what I would expect in a podcast.
Bill Gasiamis 4:22
However, it was perfect, and I loved chatting with the family. The work that these guys do raising awareness for people with disabilities and the efforts they go to to create an extraordinary life for their siblings, the children, and the family is just a fantastic example of what is possible after a stroke.
Bill Gasiamis 4:48
So, if you are inspired by stroke recovery stories of people who have made it unique, overcome unique challenges. This is the episode for you. I could go on and talk about this forever. But it would be best if you listened to the attack. And if you can see, you can get a feel for what this episode was about. Go and look on the YouTube channel.
Bill Gasiamis 5:16
If you go to the YouTube channel, you’ll be able to see all the family members interacting and being a part of this show. Sometimes, everyone’s talking all over each other. So it’s just a fun episode. And it goes to show that there is more than one way to go about stroke recovery and how to overcome all the challenges that stroke can create. So please enjoy this episode like I did. Betina Jenna Vesey. Welcome to the podcast.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 5:50
Thank you for having me. My pleasure.
Bill Gasiamis 5:53
Thank you for being here. Your family is famous, would you say?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 6:02
A little bit, I can say.
Bill Gasiamis 6:06
Tell me a little bit about why.
Perinatal Stroke
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 6:07
We have a daughter, Clara; she’s 17 and had a stroke when I was pregnant. And so the doctor said she would be a vegetable. Today, Clara is 17. She can’t speak, write, or read, but she understands Portuguese, Italian, and English.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 6:29
And when she was around ten, I asked, “What will she do when she grows up?” You know, she will not have the same opportunities as the others. So, I decided to start doing Instagram for her. And because I’m always in marketing.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 6:49
Then she started painting and fell in love with Frida Kahlo, and she asked me to do an exhibition in New York. At that time, we were living in Italy. Because I’m from Brazil, Clara was born in Italy. And then we started, and it went viral.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 7:11
So, in the end, I showed my company, and I started working for Clara to make things happen. And also to be together so that she can have more experience. And so yeah, we had some videos viral on social media.
Bill Gasiamis 7:33
What’s very interesting is that I knew about Clara before you contacted me many years ago. And I used to see the work that you guys did to make posts and raise awareness is the way that I see it is raise awareness. And I was just amazed that the whole thing even existed, the entire following and social media thing, which wasn’t possible 15 years ago.
Bill Gasiamis 8:07
It wasn’t possible at the beginning of this journey that Clara had to go on because of the stroke. But I love that you guys are now working as a family to support her and, at the same time, doing amazing things and raising awareness. Tell me a little about what happened when she was in utero that caused the stroke. Do they know?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 8:36
No, we did all the genetic exams, everything. And they think it’s kind of an accident that just happened. And because of the stroke, she had a bad formation. So, the brain damage extended mainly to the left side of the brain. So it’s missing some parts. And I think the gray area is not; I’m not good in all these terms. I know a lot of moms are, but I’m not.
Bill Gasiamis 9:11
Fair enough. You’re just dealing with your baby, whatever the situation was,
Clara Woods 9:16
Mostly, we decided to make her leave. And I think it was a good point whenever we accept straight away. And we never block ourselves. I never thought of Clara as having a disability and made this thing the most important of our lives.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 9:37
And when we went to the newspaper for the first time, I got a lot of contacts. And one of them was a group of kids that had a stroke. At that point, I never imagined that many kids could have the same, and I was so grateful not to have been in that group before.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 10:00
Because mostly, it says that you have to have that path that everyone will have. So we will have these, and you probably will have a seizure, and you can do this, and things will happen. So, today, you know, it’s a difficult decision.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 10:22
And I’m saying this: I love the group. But for us, when Clara had her first seizure, I knew she could have one. So we live much more light, her process of discovering things and not getting so anxious about the process.
Bill Gasiamis 10:44
I love it; you must be in the flow of the process. So whatever happens, we’ll deal with it when it happens, if it happens, rather than all the problems that can occur. Let’s worry about all of them. At the same time, most of them won’t come true, and most issues won’t happen. And then it takes your attention away from what it is precisely that you need to be focusing on and paying attention to. So, in this case, it was a seizure. How old was she when she had her first seizure?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 11:18
I think she was around five or six, something like that. And then she was more upset. And so she seems like she is dying; it was terrible. We didn’t know. And then she had some more. And when it started becoming more frequent, like every two months, we gave her medicines. And after a while, like then, she didn’t head for three years, and we decided to stop the medication.
Bill Gasiamis 11:59
And now that you’ve stopped the medicine, does she still have seizures?
Clara Woods & & Betina Genovesi 12:04
We stopped like six or seven years ago, so it was great. And she didn’t have one, and she had one after her surgery. But the doctor said it was probably because of the anesthesia. And actually, this is something like a miracle. Because just a second, my husband is making noise here, and I’m like, stop. Sorry about that.
Bill Gasiamis 12:37
You don’t worry; you guys do what you have to do. I understand the stuff going on; do what you have to do; it doesn’t matter to me. I love that things go on in your family no matter what. You have to get things done.
Taking the win whenever you can
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 12:52
So now, when we went to a new neurologist, and I’m needless to say, I’m always afraid of this seizure thing. So even if she didn’t head for a long, it’s like a ghost in, you know, when she’s sleeping, I’m worried, and then these new neurologists saw her exam and said, Where are the seizures? And we said she does not have, and he was imposing.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 13:22
Why she’s not having even, you know, the electrical different functions. Because he said for her brain, she should always have seizures. So it’s hope to give to the families that sometimes, even if the situation is horrible, things can go well.
Bill Gasiamis 13:44
Absolutely. You take the win whenever you can. If that happened by mistake by miracle, whatever the situation, that’s fantastic. Just go with it, be happy with it, and be on the lookout for other seizures. But the doctors in Italy aren’t the medical system very supportive of people who have had strokes, or is it challenging to navigate?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 14:13
I think it’s not easy in Italy; I’m from Brazil. So when I look with my Brazilian eyes, I can say Italy is perfect because in Brazil, you know you have not so much as we have experienced in Austria, so our strike is fantastic.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 14:33
So Italy is not good enough. So it depends, but we had good support. Things take a little bit longer, so sometimes you must wait a long time to have it, but I think it was good. And they have prominent stroke specialists. We never went by mostly, you know, because of our different ways of moving, but I know in this group that I am that they are good too in following the kids.
Bill Gasiamis 15:15
Is Clara, did you have other children?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 15:19
I have one son of 11 years. Carlo has two girls from his first marriage, 32 and 31, and the second has muscular atrophy.
Bill Gasiamis 15:35
So, it’s not unfamiliar. Challenges with neurological disorders are not unknown to the family.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 15:47
I think this was one of the things that made us slightly different. Because Carlo had his first experience with it’s degenerative disease, it’s always getting worse, so his daughter is in a wheelchair all the time. She cannot move a lot, but she works full-time. She lives by herself with help. So
Bill Gasiamis 16:16
Fantastic. So, all of Clara’s siblings are older.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 16:20
Yeah, Davi is younger. Yeah, my boy.
Bill Gasiamis 16:26
Okay. So what’s life like for Clara? I know that she has a lot of things that need to be taken care of to get her stay that day started. So, what does the day look like? Wake up in the morning. And then what then.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 16:43
Right now, we went through a rough situation after her surgery because she had surgery to be able to walk better. She had her right foot with the toes going like this. So we need to do surgery. We also did this in the hip in the femur because her leg was going inside at this stage, so I’m from writing to all wrong, so she had complex dystonia for one month, and now her excellent foot has a big dystonia in the toes. So it’s five months that we are dealing with this.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 17:27
Mostly, when it’s normal, she goes to school, so she gets up and goes to school. And when we have extra activities, that’s a lot. We try to manage every balance also; she gets not so tired and does things. Because we are not attending events, having our events, meeting people, or doing content, it’s an enslaved person creating content.
Bill Gasiamis 18:00
Yeah, I understand. I only have a podcast, and everyone expects me to have social media stuff, short clips, and this and that. Oh my gosh, I do not have the time. But I appreciate that you guys somehow find the time to create content. But it seems essential for Clara’s recovery journey and the support.
Bill Gasiamis 18:26
What does the content help you to achieve? What does it help you do other than raise awareness because? Raising awareness is one thing, and that’s amazing. And I love that her inspirational story shows that people don’t need to follow the regular path, whatever that is. What do the content and the social media following help you do? What does it support?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 18:52
It’s a lot of things; in the beginning, I never imagined to be like where we are today., Still, with time, I understood that a lot of people like they go out they write us, and also extreme cases like I was trying to suicide and then I saw you. I didn’t do it, and those are things that are so powerful. So right now, I say I’m no longer in work, but I like more a mission because we are working with this, so we are investing all our energy and money what we have to make this happen.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 19:37
And it’s not easy because we depend on Clara for this ability with her teenage years and everything. I think the power of community is enormous. So when we can help someone, or they can help us or, you know, exchange things, everything. If I say like I would, sometimes I say I would like a panettone, and someone sends it to me. It can be stupid, but we feel okay.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 20:08
Someone cares, you know. And right now, we have this story about the beach wheelchair. So, some followers saw Carlo pushing her with an ancient wheelchair on the beach. And Carlo, you know, he can do everything. So, he does not care a lot. But people are, how are you doing this? The beach should be assigned a wheelchair, but it’s also not easy to organize life and always go to that beach when the wheelchair is there; you know, those not in our situation don’t understand all we need to manage.
Raising money for Clara Woods
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 20:48
And then a woman wrote me and said, I contact the manufacturer to give you a beach wheelchair. And I said, okay, and the manufacturer said they would not do that. And she created a GoFundMe. And I was a little bit uncomfortable because it’s always asking for money, you know, and I think we have enough, even if a beach chair would help, but okay, let’s see, we didn’t do it ourselves.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 21:24
So she did. And she was so lovely. And she was trying, you know, to help. And then, in five days, they reach the goal. And even without publishing so much, I was a little bit shy about posting a lot. So it was so powerful when we see these like, okay, people are caring about orders, they are trying to help. Now I think about who we decide to buy to and donate one so we can share, you know, what people are giving to us.
Bill Gasiamis 22:01
Beautiful. That’s amazing. So I asked you on purpose because I wanted to understand what happens and how it happens. So, I’ve just completed the manuscript of my book. Now, the title, not everyone’s going to like it’s called stroke, the best thing that happened, okay, not everyone’s going to like it and understand why because it’s not the best thing that happened to everybody.
Bill Gasiamis 22:25
And it wasn’t for me. However, in one of the chapters, a section where I talk about what people need to do to raise money to achieve what they want to achieve, it might be necessary to raise money. And one of the things that I suggest they do is set up a GoFundMe page; it is a service that has never been available before.
Bill Gasiamis 22:52
In the past, it was so hard to develop support services that the community could put in a few dollars each and then raise 1,000, or $150, or whatever it was; it didn’t matter. But I think it’s essential. And I love the fact that you’re a little bit uncomfortable with it. But the reality is, even though the chair wasn’t 100% necessary because you guys had a chair, it was old, and it wasn’t the best chair, it still worked.
Bill Gasiamis 23:28
But what I love is the idea that for somebody that’s not in your position listening to this, hopefully, they can feel comfortable to make a request of somebody and say, Can you please set up a GoFundMe page and let’s see if we can raise money for this particular thing that I need for my legs. It might be it might be a specific structure of support, or it might be for rehabilitation of my arm.
Clara Woods 23:56
Yeah, because I think when we are as a family, we are blessed and have opportunities from different countries. So you know a lot of things. But when you come from many families, they struggle to bring food to their houses. And even now, we’ve got surgery. I told Carlo how people can manage because we have the system but ordinary people working, how they can manage to bring the situation to a good point.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 24:31
Carlo is dedicated 100% to Clara’s PT, and we can connect these with our business that social media is our E-commerce. It’s what we are doing, but we want to know how other families could do the same. And in any case, we struggle because we don’t have time for ourselves. You see, it’s five. After a prayer, okay, it’s like a lot.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 25:04
We have some friends, my mom, but it’s not extra true that we have one day a week or something, and we feel that we are super we can do, but at the end of the day, we are okay. It’s too much. And I think it’s good when we have these tools that we can help, or people can help where we don’t find assisting the government in or in order place. It’s very; it’s not easy to receive, you know.
Bill Gasiamis 25:35
I understand, well, that’s a skill that you have to feel comfortable with and that you have to deal with. But I’m glad you’re thinking about it, even though somebody else set it up for you. I’m so happy that you said yes and donated another chair to another person. It’s amazing.
Bill Gasiamis 25:53
I specifically put that information in my book to encourage people to feel good about the fact that if they need specialized equipment that costs 1000s of dollars, and they can’t work, and insurance won’t cover it. Well, there’s nothing wrong with asking the community now. Our fantastic community is all over the world.
Bill Gasiamis 26:15
It never used to be we used to have small villages. I initially felt like this world situation that we live in is a negative thing and that we need to become closer connected to our village and our community square, and all the things that used to happen in the old days, you know, some near us.
Bill Gasiamis 26:38
But the problem is, in those communities, you don’t know many stroke survivors; you feel strange and different. And you don’t feel like you can be encouraged to inspire other people, for example, but here with a global community of stroke survivors and the same challenges you always faced, which is trying to support you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bill Gasiamis 27:06
A child that has had a stroke with all those challenges, there should be something that you can do that’s easy, or when you should be able to get one when in this whole situation, you know, and I’ve spoken about under the heading which says fund your specialized equipment. Specifically, I think it is fantastic if you’re asking for money to fund specialized equipment.
Bill Gasiamis 27:31
And taking Clara down to the beach on that brand new wheelchair, I think, will give some people an idea that going to the beach is possible. And they didn’t believe that it would enhance somebody’s life. That’s going to make them feel better about the whole situation. It’s going to be so positive. It’s going to be such a positive experience. I understand why you think a little bit of discomfort. And I love that you mentioned that. But crowdfunding was invented for precisely that reason.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 28:08
I know. Because in the beginning, when we started doing the business for Cara, she was 12. She was the first kid in Italy to have her own company because you need the judge there. It’s not like in America. So it was a process. We decided not to do a nonprofit. Because disability is always connected with no profit. So people feel better if they donate once and say, “Okay, I did my part.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 28:43
And we always say, Okay, ay, Clara is an artist, so she needs to be recognized because she’s an artist and she has a disability. Still, it’s not that the disability you will buy for $10 because she has a disability and then it shouldn’t be a low price, you know, or because you feel like you feel pity for her and you buy so you like Harar to believe you don’t like, I say maybe not too good not to vote no. But you know, a nonprofit is much easier to do things.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 29:23
In any case, many people ask why the painting was so expensive because she has milestones she did. She’s 17 And has three times to exhibit on Art Basel. You know, it’s not that when we go to Art Basel, someone pays for our ticket, or it’s just that I think many people think we are just millionaires. We are just playing, you know, and we are sweating, to make the business and all things, so I guess also this feeling of they deserve to be read, where people think or consider that we have help from the government or orders or should be, like for granted that we should get help or it’s not like this.
Bill Gasiamis 30:17
The person asking about the cost of the art obviously can’t afford it or doesn’t value the art. The experience of the person who’s had to go through 17 years of the stroke to create still something he doesn’t, they doesn’t love, that whole process, that experience, the life experience, and what the art means the fact that the skill exists is the miracle in itself.
Bill Gasiamis 30:49
Because a baby who had a stroke shouldn’t have this life experience at all, and that person can’t understand the Absolute amazingness of that piece of art. And if you can’t afford it, that’s okay. You can ask for one that costs a little less, a little smaller, or a postcard or something else.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 31:13
Also, to raise awareness that people with disabilities have value. And they don’t need always to be seen as less or taken as less, or, you know, it’s a tremendous work to do and develop. But I think it’s also about people with disabilities believing in themselves, and it will be a difficult way to go. I know it still, changes a lot of our lives, but it takes a lot of stamina to see that they can do that even if Clara cannot speak but understands three languages.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 31:58
You know, it’s anyone who understands how, and probably she paints in this way with so much emotion because it’s missing a part of her brain, and I think she has a lot of talents that are there, and no one wants to see them. Because it’s even in our family think about that. People say why are you doing this? It’s easier to put her in an Institute, so say you don’t understand anything.
Bill Gasiamis 32:37
It’s not easier putting somebody anywhere or doing anything. What’s easier is living life because at least you guys also get to live your life with Clara simultaneously.
Clara Woods 32:50
This is one of our goals because when we realized that we could, like if today I had my job, Carlo had his job, she would be just in school and with a babysitter. And at this moment, we have experienced so many things together; we can travel, be together, grow, and she can also have a role.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 33:21
I forgot the word, and she can be someone in the society and, you know, have her challenges her things. I think it is essential to understand what people with disabilities can do because many kids grow up with parents saying they will not be able to do it and teachers, and it’s not because they are nasty or because they are afraid to give hope. You know?
Bill Gasiamis 33:53
Yeah, absolutely. Hello Clara, it’s so lovely to meet you. I’ve been following you on Instagram and social media. Were you in PT right now?
How to Dream Big in Adversity
Clara Woods 34:22
She was doing a special massage because her wrist was not opening up well. We just launched a course about how to dream big, even with the adversities that life gives, based on our experience and what we went through as a family. So Carlo Davi and Clara also speak about the things that we go through in the course, and in the beginning, I also didn’t know if I could do this because, you know, when we leave ourselves, it is one thing when we need to say to others, you should dream big you should do this it’s not easy the process.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 35:15
We can dream big because when Clara said, Mom, I want to go to New York like Freda did. I said, Yes. Let’s try. I could be saying no, we will never get there. It will not be possible. Look at you; you have a disability. And I think this year has changed all our lives completely. We were in high school last week to share Clara’s experience, and it was the most powerful thing for me to see that through this experience. We can motivate kids to be usual. I never knew the terms.
Bill Gasiamis 35:59
Don’t worry about it. Nobody’s going to get offended. And if they do, they should stop listening. Yeah, regular, disabled, whatever the words are that I know that coming from your heart, don’t worry about it.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 36:10
Yeah. And so these kids, when you see in the deepness, everyone needing help, everyone needs to believe, and you know, if social media and all these, it’s incredible what these kids have going on. So I was so happy to say, okay, we can give hope. People came after the sorry, but the ice cream guys came in.
Bill Gasiamis 36:42
No problem. Another little thing that happens: this is all good. Don’t worry
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 36:47
Clara wants to show you something in she has her AAC software. But she doesn’t like to use it because it’s too slow.
Bill Gasiamis 37:02
For people who are listening on audio instead of YouTube. This would be a good episode for you guys to watch on YouTube. So, I’d love to see what Clara wants to share.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 37:16
She’s thinking.
Bill Gasiamis 37:18
Alright, that’s okay. Well, when she works, it actually can let us know. Well, it will. We’ll have a look then. So tell me about it. Tell me about New York. So I’ve been to New York. It’s a fantastic place. How did you guys go to New York? Was it on a mission to achieve, do something, or just visit?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 37:39
We didn’t go yet. I gave her a book of Frida Kahlo. So she saw this page where Frida was in New York and showed me, and she said, Mom, I want to do the same. And we said, okay, let’s try. And then we started doing the exhibitions in Italy, it was 2018. So the first one was in Florence, where we lived. In the same year, we went to Japan for her exhibition and to Miami for Art Basel.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 38:18
And then we went to London, and all over Italy, and I had this company of power wheelchair, so we lived a lot in these words. But I could not do both. And my heart was much more in the so I sold. Then we asked for a visa for her as an extraordinary talent. So she got the ticket. We decided to move to California because I always loved it here, and we are still waiting for the New York opportunity.
Bill Gasiamis 38:55
Okay, so at the moment, you guys are based in California.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 38:59
Yeah, in Huntington Beach. It’s like 40 minutes south of LA.
Bill Gasiamis 39:04
Okay, understand. Are we ready?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 39:11
We want to ask something. She wants to know what you do or what’s your story.
Bill Gasiamis 39:30
Okay. My story is in 2012, I had a brain hemorrhage. It was an arteriovenous malformation, a faulty blood vessel that burst and bled in my head. And then, six weeks later, he exuded a second time. And it created a clot about the size of a golf ball in my head. Inside, that clot stayed in my head until 2004, when I had another bleed and needed brain surgery. And then I needed to learn how to walk again.
Bill Gasiamis 40:07
And I needed to learn how to use my arm again. I was the first person I had ever met who had a stroke and didn’t understand it. So we lived, I lived at home, most of the time, I couldn’t work or do any of those things. My wife eventually returned to work. My sons were teenagers, so they were at school.
Bill Gasiamis 40:30
After the brain surgery, I felt like there was a big gap in Stroke Awareness and stroke support in the community of stroke survivors, and I felt lonely. And I didn’t understand how to reach or find more people. So, a friend suggested that I do something on a global scale; I didn’t know what it was or what it would mean.
What is the purpose of the podcast?
Bill Gasiamis 40:57
So I started the podcast. And at the beginning, it wasn’t called the Recovery after Stroke podcast; they had a different name. And then, it took about two years for me to understand that the podcast I’m going to have is about stroke recovery because that’s my expertise. That’s what I know; that’s the people I relate to. So I started the podcast. And now you guys will be, I think, almost Episode 260, something like that. And it goes to 60 countries.
Bill Gasiamis 41:30
And because of this podcast, I’ve met many amazing people who helped me write the book. And I love sharing stories of stroke survivors, what they have been through, all their challenges, what they have overcome, and what they have achieved. And this is the perfect story for me because it’s exactly what you guys are doing. And you’re doing it in a very different way. And I think that’s why you guys have such a large following.
Bill Gasiamis 42:01
Because it’s, you guys are going about things very differently. And I think you’re you’re, you’re breaking down barriers that existed about what is possible and what is impossible. And I love a good story where people say, No, we’re going to do something different. And then we will tell the whole world about it so that other people can do the same thing. That’s why this podcast is about, it’s about inspiring stroke survivors to do something different.
Bill Gasiamis 42:32
And to live an everyday life, an extraordinary life, a fantastic life, or whatever they want. And not to let something like a stroke get in their way. So that’s what I do. But I don’t do it enough. It’s still my part-time. In my part-time job, I also coach people worldwide with their stroke journey. So there are a few people I’m coaching from the United States, and there have been some from other countries.
Bill Gasiamis 43:06
At the beginning or the middle of their journey, they might reach out and say I need some guidance, some support, I need to understand what I should focus on. I coach people worldwide on how to recover from a stroke.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 43:21
Nice, this is so important.
Bill Gasiamis 43:24
I think people need help and support.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 43:28
Yeah, because sometimes I speak with moms and dads, and they want to know what we went through, how to deal with some situations, or what to expect. It’s mainly, you know, the kids that are they just discover about the stroke. So it’s essential to have someone to count on and be able to say doubts because people who do not go through this don’t understand. They can help but don’t understand what we go through.
Bill Gasiamis 44:09
If I’m honest, Betina and Clara, what I’m doing is I want to be an excellent example for my kids. My children hopefully go through their life healthy their whole life, but I expect at some stage in life, they will be given a huge challenge to deal with, whether it’s their own or somebody else they know and love.
Bill Gasiamis 44:35
So, I want to give them an example of what you can do with adversity. What is a different way forward? And if you want to do that, go for it because nothing stops you, and Clara is a perfect person for that whole thing. That’s precisely what we’re trying to do: be a good example and see if we can find a way to reach many people.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 45:17
Our son says that Davi is stuck in a ride. I don’t think it’s true, but they are calling me. Sorry, our son is in a summer school in San Diego. He wants to see a word. And his friend just wrote me that they are stuck in a ride. But I think they are making a prank with me, you know? So they are calling. I said Carlo, you should answer because we never know. But it’s a prank for me because I wouldn’t say I like this ride. We don’t know. But we hope it’s just a joke.
Bill Gasiamis 46:13
You know that he has gone there today. He knows that you don’t like rides. So now he’s giving you a hard time about it.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 46:22
And we saw a video another day of a ride broken. So I think it’s like just a prank.
Bill Gasiamis 46:32
I love it. Fantastic. So, New York. Are you guys planning to go there and do an exhibition?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 46:41
We are in our plane plans. But we still don’t have anything because we are in two years and a half, so I’m still learning everything. You know how to move and how to make the connection. So we have a lot of projects going on, but it still didn’t happen. So, I think in the future? We will. But we don’t know when.
Bill Gasiamis 47:08
Not yet. Okay, cool. So what about you, you said earlier that there’s not a lot of time for you. What are some of the things you miss out on that you would love to be able to do every once in a while?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 47:25
I’m thinking right now like going to the beach just one morning, you know, and because we live right near to the beach, mainly having the time to say okay, I cannot think if I have enough sales and things to say I can have one week holiday. Right now, Kara and I are working on this project. I think you know if you are not an employee but an interrupter, you know that you must do what you need to do. So, you noticed the other day I worked hard for two weeks, until midnight, doing the new website because we have a lot of followers on our website, but our conversion rates are low.
So I’m trying to understand how to market, the American market goes. But the other day, I was in bed with a lousy headache. So I said okay, my body’s saying stop. And also the marriage. I think it’s important to talk about marriage when you have, you know, if you have a kid with a stroke or siblings because of disabilities, it sounds like something that we need to invest in. Otherwise, we will lose. They seem Galanes it’s essential to pay attention to what’s going on.
Bill Gasiamis 49:06
Yeah. So other people need support, attention, care, listening, and help; they all need all those things. You included you, your husband, the siblings, and Clara; everybody needs to be heard, listened to and paid attention to.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 49:26
Yeah, I think also ourselves to say okay, we need to have, I don’t know, one week, one day a week, or one night that we care for ourselves as a couple. We need days to go out just with the Wii. He is perfect. We try to include him in many things but you with the fact that car Clara is a little bit famous. It’s also difficult for him because sometimes all the attention goes to Clara more, you know, not just on the disability side, so be able to balance and because in the end, the most important thing, you know, like we are a couple if we break the family break together so,
Bill Gasiamis 50:16
Yeah, yeah. So is it just a matter of is it just a matter of you guys getting it in your head and finding a way to schedule me time? Or is it more complicated than that?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 50:31
Now, it’s more complicated than that. Because we are, I’m, migrants, so it’s, we found a lot of friendly people here that they help, and are willing to say, okay, I can do, but you know, we’re still new. So, the number Guiro will take is still fresh. So I have my mom here. I can ask, but sometimes we are so doing things and thinking it’s more critical than Clara can do PT can do this and, and then we just forget, or we put out order priority, so
Bill Gasiamis 51:16
Okay, sounds
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 51:18
Evil does not help a lot.
Bill Gasiamis 51:21
Because she’s a teenager. Yeah, I understand.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 51:29
Now, she’s worried about the Wii. You can go down if you want. No.
Bill Gasiamis 51:37
Okay, so I think it’s a matter of you guys just scheduling it in. So, not now. But in a month from now. Look at the calendar. See you Friday night. 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Carlo and Betina time. That’s it. Please do it now for one month time. And then when you get there, everything will line up to ensure you guys have Yeah. Three hours.
Bill Gasiamis 52:12
Yeah, watch a movie and eat an ice cream.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 52:16
He wants to come together? He wants to spend time with me. She wants to spend time with me.
Bill Gasiamis 52:24
Saturday, the next day? Yeah. Okay. In one month. After your Friday with Carlo. You guys will get together to get a nice screen, watch a movie, whatever you like.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 52:36
Okay. All right. We’ve now it’s Davi. With Davi. With and without. So it’s using the agenda.
Bill Gasiamis 52:48
Okay. First two hours with Davi. Last hour without?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 52:55
Okay. Okay.
Bill Gasiamis 52:57
Problem solved. No worries. You let me know next time you have a scheduling problem. I will organize it for you.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 53:04
Okay, every day.
Clara Woods website
Bill Gasiamis 53:08
I’ll be your official scheduler. So, the website is looking fabulous. I just clicked on it when you mentioned that clarawoodscollection.com. Yeah, it’s nice and bright. And if it was converting better, what would you like it to do better?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 53:27
To convert better?
Bill Gasiamis 53:29
Yeah, what would you like it to do more? Because you feel like it’s, you’re a little bit uncomfortable with it now.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 53:39
Yeah, we have the business. So we need to be able to make a business work on the business side. So we had, I think, 22,000 people going to the website this month, but the conversion rates were low. And I’ve been working in these for two years now. And I don’t understand how. So today, I called Shopify specialists; they are helping me understand because I know that buying art is complicated.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 54:19
I know that if it’s women, it’s hard to do because they want to match the art with the couch, walls, space, and everything. So they like it but don’t know when they sigh. So it isn’t very easy. If it’s a man and they have, like, they can buy. They believe and don’t care. I think after they fight with the wives.
Bill Gasiamis 54:45
They buy it and worry about it later. And then it goes if the husband likes it and the wife doesn’t like it, goes into the garage or in the back of the toilet somewhere. It doesn’t matter.
Clara Woods 54:57
Mostly, I always say and believe that if you buy Clara’s art now, it will be like an investment in the future. I think we have some people who bought just for acquisition. So they believe that Clara will grow and it will increase the price.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 55:15
So we developed a more affordable clothing collection, you know, the limited edition prints; I think it’s also a factor of time because many people that come to our website just saw us in a video, so they don’t know all the stories. So they first need to learn then to be able to.
Bill Gasiamis 55:40
Yes, it’s a slow process; sometimes, it’s a slow burn. So people will become familiar with Clara with you guys with a story, follow it for a little while, and interact several of times.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 55:52
So, we created the rainbow plane course about how to dream big. Since we talk with many people in the most motivational way, we thought, why not use these so that people know about what we did? And because, for us, many things are standard, but who is watching us? It’s not, you know, or they feel how you did that you change our life, you moved your country I want sometimes they want just to do a small thing.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 56:27
Sometimes it’s big. So we said we wanted to help and said, you can do it. And I was terrified because I said I don’t know if this is a good thing I did. And I had my first student in Canada. And she was amazed. She said I changed my life two months after I started, and she also had some mental health problems and chronic diseases.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 56:58
So, with the disability, Clara wants to speak. You are thinking about what? You don’t know. No. Do we want to ask something? Yeah, okay. About his brain. Because now Clara existed in a lot. Can I say, okay, she lived in a lot of the brain with Karen because she has this dystonia and wants to get over our feet and get better?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 57:42
So they said about the brain, and where it’s part of the dystonia that can cause anxiety, it’s all in the same place. And she wants to say a word that sent you the picture. It was here she wanted to show you the part of the brain. Because when you do, you had the stroke in one part of the left side, the right side.
Bill Gasiamis 58:21
Right side near my cerebellum. It was deep in my brain, four centimeters from my ear.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 58:29
But when you had, you said you had one and then another. And then you were okay, for two years before the brain surgery was…
Bill Gasiamis 58:41
It was a tough time. So I had to swim then, so I couldn’t work a lot. I had memory problems. I couldn’t type an email. Sometimes, I forget who visited me. A lot of the time, I felt like I was on another planet in space. So I was all weird and loopy. I had difficulty with energy and a lot of fatigue. I have so, I suffered difficult fatigue, debilitating fatigue. What else did I experience? My left side has numbness, tingling, and burning sensation.
Bill Gasiamis 59:23
My balance is slightly off because my left side doesn’t recognize where it is in the world. So it’s it’s called proprioception. And it’s a problem with the sensory neurons. And there’s a slight problem with the motor neurons, but not so much. So there are a couple of things going on at the same time, and I live with muscle tightness on my left side, so my body balance is always a little bit out of balance, and my muscles need massaging and support like that. And also, my skin feels sensitive. So, if you touch it gently, it hurts. It burns the wind. I can feel the wind impact.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:00:17
Yeah, I think it’s also a different place, but since Clara had, you know, she was born with the consequence of the stroke. So then I think it’s also different.
Bill Gasiamis 1:00:36
Show me, yes, the basal ganglia.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:00:40
Yeah. This is where dystonia happens. The doctor said it can occur after surgery when people with Clara now have cerebral palsy. He was hopeful that it would be fixed, so it was good, but they never knew with the brain. Okay, you can send it, and now she is working in writing. A brain with a bazooka calm? Yeah. Right. She’s drawing what?
Bill Gasiamis 1:01:22
Uh-huh. Fantastic. Another piece for the collection? Is there going to be another? Is that going to be another art piece?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:01:33
Another what?
Bill Gasiamis 1:01:37
Art, is it going to be another?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:01:43
Art piece? Yes. Now, she’s back into paint because she’d spent two months not painting because of the surgery. Yeah, she’s creating some things.
Bill Gasiamis 1:02:05
It’s just amazing that you guys listen to how the family works and everything going on. Just generally, the way that you guys approach life that you made. It’s amazing.
Intro 1:02:20
If you’ve had a stroke and you’re in recovery, you’ll know what a scary and confusing time it can be; you’re likely to have many questions going through your mind. How long will it take to recover? Will I recover? What things should I avoid? In case I make matters worse, doctors will explain things.
Intro 1:02:39
But you’ve never had a stroke before; you probably don’t know what questions to ask. If this is you, you may miss out on doing things that could help speed up your recovery if you find yourself in that situation. Stop worrying and head to recoveryafterstroke.com, where you can download a guide to help you. It’s called seven questions to ask your doctor about your stroke.
Intro 1:03:03
These seven questions are the ones Bill wished he’d asked when he was recovering from a stroke. They’ll not only help you better understand your condition, but they’ll also help you take a more active role in your recovery. Head to the website now, recoveryafterstroke.com, and download the guide. It’s free.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:03:22
Carlo is now terrible because he’s opened. I don’t know what sweets.
Bill Gasiamis 1:03:30
How are you? This is a podcast. Don’t you guys understand that podcasts are serious? We can’t be interrupting all the time. Carlo, what’s that biscuit?
Carlo Genovesi 1:03:50
These are called…
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:03:56
It’s, you know, from the Girl Scouts here in America they sell a lot of, and this one someone brought us because both have ADHD.
Carlo Genovesi 1:04:10
We try to have sugar in the house.
Bill Gasiamis 1:04:14
So there’s not enough sugar.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:04:16
But everyone brings ice cream so all of them bring ice cream it’s impossible. They don’t get fat; this is what I do, but they don’t. Amore, you can say a little bit for yourself.
Carlo Genovesi 1:04:44
Yes, Clara was kicking me away.
Dealing with ADHD
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:04:50
What we see is that Carlo is an actual role model for a lot of dads out there. And this is so nice. Because he has ADHD in Italy, you know Europe how things are. So he was extraordinary and new in Europe because of his way and being a little bit without filters. And here, at least, I think it’s much more a place for him, And it’s lovely to see this born of him as a role model for many people, seeing what he’s doing with Clara. That’s nature for him. He has so much more patience than me, like
Bill Gasiamis 1:05:38
Did you think you’re going to become a role model, Carlo?
Carlo Genovesi 1:05:43
Well, I came 30 years earlier to America; I had all the cards to go to prison with my haphazard riding and just, you know, doing things out of the ordinary North American Anglo-Saxon world. It’s a lot more structured, and we ADHDers get into trouble and considerable time and spend many years in prison.
Bill Gasiamis 1:06:14
So, at the moment, you feel like
Carlo Genovesi 1:06:18
I’ve not yet ended up in prison because I tried to conform to society, you know, in Mediterranean countries, people live more on an improvised basis.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:06:41
The other day Carlo disappeared because he was helping a friend of ours and you know, he always forgets the phone, it’s like an ADHD thing. So it was midnight. Where’s Carlo? The only thing I was thinking is who will help me with Clara because he has a lot of patience and love and, you know, trying to listen because a lot of times we do not attend because it’s easier to do our way, you know so let’s go because we need to do this and let’s do this, but it’s not Clara’s way. And then this is also this debilitating. She’s worried now about Davi, right?
Carlo Genovesi 1:07:38
A new way to show the sketch she made of herself is to picture herself as an animal, Clara, because we do not say anything. After all, you behave like an animal or not.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:07:56
Because it says things to three weeks, we have a giant like real administration family to say, Clara, you are a grown-up. You are almost an adult, and things need to change. Your disability cannot be given excuse. So I’m the bad cop, and follow is the good cop. So she was like, doing not good things for me. So she did me this beautiful. It’s a thing, love, man. I love you for being my mom.
Bill Gasiamis 1:08:42
She also knows how to work her magic to bring you on her side. Yeah. I love it. This is a fantastic story. This is a brilliant thing. I love that you guys dare to move to another part of the planet to see this thing fulfilled and to make this happen and be an example to show people what’s possible.
Bill Gasiamis 1:09:10
It is such an essential part of stroke recovery to encourage people to do their own thing, be themselves, and find a way. Frida Kahlo inspired people 100 years ago with her work, and she was not meant to be doing that. She had everything going against her. She had a disability.
Bill Gasiamis 1:09:34
She was a woman in the worst time in the world, but she is the worst time for that type of combination in the world, you know, one of the worst times but she still found a way to make a massive impact, and I love the fact that you guys are doing it in your way, even if it’s a little bit.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:09:56
Carlo, that kind of painting.
Bill Gasiamis 1:09:58
Yeah, please show me
new one.
Bill Gasiamis 1:10:02
Oh, wow, wow, that’s a big one too. I love it. Fantastic Carlo is an incredible display of art.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:10:19
God, I want to ask if you’re going to meet her guinea pig called Chocolate
Bill Gasiamis 1:10:25
Yes, of course.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:10:28
I went to pig, Allah. Ma. Kira will try it. Twice, King Clara said she asked you before you knew if you agreed.
Bill Gasiamis 1:10:45
You guys are running the show here. Do whatever you like. This is your podcast. No problem.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:10:52
You will know I’m so happy. It’s our first podcast Ray will hear, and I’m so glad that we feel.
Bill Gasiamis 1:11:01
Well, I’m
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:11:03
Clara wants to know what time is in England now.
Bill Gasiamis 1:11:07
Well, I’m in Australia. It is nine o’clock in the morning. In Australia? I do. It’s nine o’clock in the morning. And today it’s Saturday.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:11:18
So I want to say it’s not 9 pm? No, it’s 9am am Saturday. So I was great. We have a lot of Australian followers, a lot. So, I want to say hi to everyone.
Bill Gasiamis 1:11:37
I want to say to the Australian followers I want to sound like this podcast episode on YouTube. Leave a comment so we know where you’re from. If you’re listening from any part of the world, please leave a comment. I will ensure that Clara and the team get notified of all the words.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:11:58
Today, you are happy to be here. Sometimes, when we are doing life, Clara is very annoyed. No annoying. So she’s like, and I’m just, you know, kicking her under the table like? Yes, more or less. Okay, can I know someone who’s falling? I don’t care. Oh, later, oh.
Bill Gasiamis 1:12:34
Okay, so you’re happy to be here today. I’m so glad that you’re here today. Thank you so much for being here today. I appreciate it. So, are we going to say chocolate?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:12:44
Yeah, Carlo, because you know, Carlo is a nature and he loves animals. So I always say I don’t want to because I cannot manage our so and they invite many reasons. Now. We got two guinea pigs. They taste good and say no. And they cannot be in a cage for Carlo. So they stay all the time in our garden. But in the night, they go to the cell. And it’s always an adventure to pick them up and put them in the cell. Because you know, Carlo, the wind Carlo is not here. I’m not doing this because I don’t know how.
Bill Gasiamis 1:13:31
And you have enough jobs already.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:13:33
Yeah. so Clara is helping to show where the guinea pig is.
Bill Gasiamis 1:13:51
Fantastic. When I started my stroke recovery and this journey on podcasting, I never expected to pay 260 stroke survivors from around the world who would come on to my podcast. I was utterly blown away and surprised because, before the stroke, I was one of those ordinary people who never had a disability, understood problems, and never had a life.
Bill Gasiamis 1:14:19
My life changed. Everything was going on, as it always did, without any real drama. So now this is a fantastic experience for me. I love the fact that I’m on the podcast. And I’m interviewing you and sharing what you guys are doing. I didn’t know that it was going to come to this. I didn’t realize that that’s what my podcast would create this opportunity to grow awareness and inspire people—so saying, fantastic for me.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:14:51
I have like now when we realize everything we did because we mostly start and are not expected.
Bill Gasiamis 1:15:02
There it is, it’s chocolate. Is that chocolate?
Carlo Genovesi 1:15:05
Yes.
Bill Gasiamis 1:15:06
A little bit of dark chocolate. And a little bit of white chocolate. That’s gorgeous. How could you say no to those fantastic, beautiful animals there, Betina?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:15:22
When we were in the hospital, like a bad day, we went for Clara. After surgery, one of them died. We died in Iraq who got Yes, yeah, not. And we were, how can we say these two karada? I was saying I cannot tell Carlo because Carlo tells everything. And then my mom and our friend bought a new one. And I was why you did that. So we had we have to again.
Bill Gasiamis 1:15:55
Okay, so there was an opportunity to have one, and now you have to again,
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:16:00
Mostly, everyone says they need to be true. Because otherwise they get depressed and I’m coming. They are animals. Are they depressed? Like this new one is a sexual
Carlo Genovesi 1:16:12
maniac.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:16:13
I’m more than.
Carlo Genovesi 1:16:14
She’s really into that testosterone store now because they are free. And then we organize behind chocolate; it’s ancient. Come on. You’re ridiculous.
Bill Gasiamis 1:16:34
So it’s a sexual maniac. That second one is the first.
Carlo Genovesi 1:16:41
The second one, this new one that we got?
Advice on how to prepare for school
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:16:46
Clara wants to ask for advice. So she wants to ask for guidance because she will start school again after five months. Five months, from April to now, I don’t know, she’s missing school, we need to be precise. She’s terrified because she cannot walk yet well, and she will need the wheelchair a little more.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:17:27
Because she needs to change classes, she needs to change styles. And she’s afraid that she will not be as fast as before. And today we had a meeting with the teacher, but the teacher forgot. So she cried before the meeting, and the teacher didn’t come. So now we must wait until Tuesday to organize the week and see how she will return. So she would like some advice.
Bill Gasiamis 1:18:01
Okay, about what to do between now and then or what to do at school.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:18:06
At school.
Bill Gasiamis 1:18:08
Okay.
Carlo Genovesi 1:18:09
Cry when you are in pain, or will you play hard because she’s got the pain here?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:18:17
Be quiet. She wants to hear from him.
Bill Gasiamis 1:18:24
I think this is what’s going to be a possibility. Every class, Clara’s class ends five minutes before everybody else. So she can leave the classroom when no children are in the corridor. And she can get to her class, next class on time.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:18:43
This is good, we can talk to the teacher.
Carlo Genovesi 1:18:51
Thank you so much. This is a great idea.
Bill Gasiamis 1:18:54
Five minutes is a little bit at the end of the class, and the corridor fills with students. So when she gets to the next classroom, the students can do their thing. And Clara is already there.
Carlo Genovesi 1:19:06
As a kid, I would pack my bag a bit earlier, and the teacher’s punishment would leave me longer.
Bill Gasiamis 1:19:16
When I was a kid, I tried to avoid going to school. But that’s what Clara is going to do. I think maybe it’ll help. I think the teachers would appreciate it.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:19:28
We can ask the teacher. They are lovely in her school, and it’s difficult because she’s going to a specialty school with 100 kids with disabilities. So, it’s a lot of specific needs to meet. And they do an excellent job, but sometimes we feel I always tried to say about inclusion. That’s not just saying hey, hi!
Bill Gasiamis 1:20:02
You know, inclusion is a huge word,
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:20:05
Much more than that. And we are trying to work on that.
Bill Gasiamis 1:20:12
I think a school like that is very much aware of the challenges children face moving from one class to another.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:20:22
We will have other questions that we can ask.
Bill Gasiamis 1:20:30
Well, what can we do?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:20:32
We can write after.
Bill Gasiamis 1:20:34
We can communicate via email, whatever you like; I will be involved in your social media from now on. Now, I would love to tell you that in six months after you’ve been to New York, I’d love to have you back on the podcast so you can tell me about your New York experience.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:20:54
And when you were prototyping, professionalize. The arc? Yeah, I believe you’re so close. Next time, you will not come into the podcast.
Bill Gasiamis 1:21:13
You, it’s New York, will happen. You’re so close. You’re only 4000 kilometers away. You’re so much further. Yeah.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:21:22
But in Europe, everything seems closer.
Bill Gasiamis 1:21:25
Yeah. Well, it is. That’s why. So that’s okay. You’ll get there. Thank you so much for reaching out to be on the podcast. I appreciate it. It’s lovely to meet you. It’s beautiful to be a part of your family for an hour. And experience what goes on there. I feel like I am there. And we’re just living our typical day in your house. So thank you.
Carlo Genovesi 1:21:49
Where do you live?
Bill Gasiamis 1:21:50
I live in Melbourne, Australia. It’s only 16,000 kilometers away from where you are, something like that. Come and visit us, Carlo.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:22:02
We want.
Carlo Genovesi 1:22:04
There’s a great power wheelchair manufacturer. Magic Mobility is from Melbourne. Go on the beach and do all kinds of altering.
Bill Gasiamis 1:22:17
Yeah, I know the name.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:22:19
Clara wants to know, how old are your children?
Bill Gasiamis 1:22:24
My oldest son is 27. And my youngest son is 23.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:22:29
How old are you?
Bill Gasiamis 1:22:30
I’m 49. I started early, Carlo. I started early. You know, that crazy kid that didn’t want to go to school. He wanted to have a family.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:22:42
How old? Were you when you started? Young?
Bill Gasiamis 1:22:48
My first son was born one month after my 22nd birthday.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:22:53
Yeah, like I was 24 with Clara.
Bill Gasiamis 1:22:57
Yeah. So it’s young now. Because nobody gets married now at the age of 22 and has kids. Back then, it was scarce. Some people I knew were getting married young, but not many people were having kids at 21 or 22. So we didn’t plan for that, as you can understand. It just happened. And we went with it. Just like you guys, we just went with it.
Carlo Genovesi 1:23:24
We’re never ready in life, in any case.
Bill Gasiamis 1:23:27
100%. So I wouldn’t change a thing. My sons are now adults, and we interact in such a fantastic way. They become such amazing men, and we have a beautiful relationship with them. It’s just lovely to be 49 and have adult children. It’s just brilliant. I love it. And, look, they are part of why I’m doing what I’m doing. I wanted to set that example.
Bill Gasiamis 1:23:53
But I wanted to be a better dad, you know, I wanted to improve after the stroke. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t want them to remember that this crazy, angry guy who was always working was always tired and exhausted. You know, because I was young, I did way too much. Because we had app goings, we had expenses.
Bill Gasiamis 1:24:17
My wife was at home for a long time because we had two young kids and all the usual problems we all had; I worked three jobs. And I wasn’t doing anything that I was passionate about. And it burnt me out. It made me feel cranky. And I used to take it out on them. I wasn’t a terrible dad, but I was an angry person. So when you’re an angry person, you’re harder to be around.
Bill Gasiamis 1:24:43
Whereas they’ve inspired me to be less angry, more paying attention, more listening, and less judgmental. And you know, the stroke has helped me because that’s why I think it’s the best thing that happened to me because it put me in a position where I was vulnerable. And I knew I had to change my ways because you can’t keep doing things in a way hard, and you can’t be angry for your whole life. You know, it’s not possible.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:25:20
Since I started listening to the podcast, I’m like, I know you, I know you. But now you are like the same. I don’t know if someone has already told you. Did you watch the series Succession?
Bill Gasiamis 1:25:36
No.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:25:38
You are the same as Kenny. From the picture? Yes.
Bill Gasiamis 1:25:45
Okay. I’ll have a look.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:25:51
Not Ken or Barbie.
Bill Gasiamis 1:25:54
Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m not a Ken. Not from Barbie. Okay, cool. Ken from Succession. Well, guys, it’s such an absolute pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for reaching out. I’m going to follow you guys.
I look forward to hearing the updates.
Bill Gasiamis 1:26:14
And if there’s anything I can do from my side of the world. I’ll get the links to your website listed in the show notes. So if anyone listening and watching wants to go there, they can. Look at a piece of art; buy a work of art. Will you guys ship it anywhere on the planet?
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:26:33
Yes.
Bill Gasiamis 1:26:35
Okay, fantastic. Thank you for being on my podcast.
Clara Woods & Betina Genovesi 1:26:39
And all the links, we share everything and do a lot.
Carlo Genovesi 1:26:46
Bill, I bless inside out.
Bill Gasiamis 1:26:49
Thank you guys, thank you so much. I appreciate you being on the podcast.
Bill Gasiamis 1:26:54
Thank you for joining me on today’s episode. Didn’t I tell you guys that it would be fabulous and that it would be unstructured and not a standard episode of the podcast? It is just a great thing for me to have done this interview and be involved in some small way in raising awareness for the journey that Clara is on to become
Bill Gasiamis 1:27:21
a fantastic representative of the stroke community and to show people what is possible after a stroke. Even though it is challenging, there are lots of great things that can come of it. If you want to join me on the show to share your stroke journey, what you’ve overcome, and what you’ve achieved, please reach out; I’d love to have you on the podcast.
Bill Gasiamis 1:27:45
To learn more about my guests, including links to their social media and other pages, and download a full interview transcript. Please go to recoveryafterstroke.com/episodes. If you would like to support this podcast, the best way to do it is to leave a five-star review that will make the podcast more popular and fall in the hands or the eyes and ears of other people who need podcasts like this. If you do that on iTunes and Spotify, that will be amazing.
Bill Gasiamis 1:28:18
Suppose you’re watching on YouTube; comment below the video. Let me know what you think of the episode. Let me know about your experience. I try to respond to all comments on YouTube. And YouTube loves it when people interact with the podcast. So that’d be fantastic. To get notifications of future episodes, subscribe to the show on the platform of your choice.
Bill Gasiamis 1:28:41
I appreciate you for being here. Thank you for listening. And I hope to see you on your episode and I look forward to presenting and delivering the next episode for you as well. I am filled with joy. I don’t even know what I’m talking about. I’m filled with joy that the podcast has gotten to this stage, and now we are making a massive difference and showing people what is possible after a stroke. Thank you for being here truly. Thank you.
Intro 1:29:14
Importantly, we present many podcasts designed to give you an insight and understanding into the experiences of other individuals. The opinions and treatment protocols discussed during any podcast are the individual’s experience. We do not necessarily share the same opinion nor recommend any treatment protocol discussed.
Intro 1:29:31
All content on this website at any linked blog, podcast, or video material controlled by this website or content is created and produced for informational purposes only. It is primarily based on the personal experience of Bill Gasiamis. The content is intended to complement your medical treatment and support healing.
Intro 1:29:48
It is not intended to substitute professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health advice. The information is general and may not suit your injuries, circumstances, or health objectives. We do not use our content as a standalone resource to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for the advice of a health professional.
Intro 1:30:09
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Intro 1:30:33
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