Newsletter - November 2025
Thriving Like a Star 2025: A Night to Remember
A Celebration of Courage, Community, and Pure Joy
Photo Courtesy of J Bak Studio
Our community showed up with purpose, passion, and a whole lot of sparkle at this year’s Thriving Like a Star Gala presented by Mercy Health. What unfolded wasn’t just an event—it was a movement in motion. Survivors, caregivers, partners, and supporters came together in a powerful demonstration of what “Hope in Action” looks like when a community rallies behind those rebuilding life after stroke.
Because of you—our sponsors, dancers, volunteers, donors, and guests—the Stroke Life Center is expanding possibilities for survivors and caregivers every single day. Your investment fuels independence, dignity, and connection. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to:
Our sponsors, whose generosity made this night possible
Our celebrity and professional dancers, who gave their hearts to the cause
Our vendors and volunteers, who executed with excellence
Our community, whose unwavering belief in our mission keeps us moving forward
From ballroom brilliance to moments of pure joy on and off the dance floor, this gala will be remembered as one of our most impactful yet. Thank you for standing with us—and for helping us bring hope to life.
📸 Photo Highlights from the Gala - View Full Gala Gallery
Relive the energy, the elegance, and the heart of the evening—visit our photo collection to see more unforgettable moments.
As we move into this season of gratitude…Our hearts are full.
At the Stroke Life Center, we witness thankfulness in its purest form—not in grand gestures, but in small moments of courage.
💚 A survivor taking steps for the first time without a cane. 💚 A caregiver sharing a rare moment of rest and laughter. 💚 A volunteer student bending down, looking eye-to-eye, and saying, “You’re doing great.”
These are the moments your generosity makes possible.
November invites us to pause—to give thanks for community, for connection, and for the simple gift of being seen, supported, and not alone. We are deeply grateful for the kindness, time, compassion, talent, and financial support that allow survivors and caregivers to rebuild not just skills—but confidence, dignity, and joy.
And next month, we have an opportunity to turn that spirit of gratitude into action.
💙 Looking Ahead to Giving Tuesday — Hope in Action
On Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025, we won’t simply ask for donations. We’ll be inviting our community to invest in hope, in healing, and in human connection.
💙 Give to honor someone you love.
💙 Give in gratitude for the progress you’ve seen.
💙 Give so that another survivor can walk through our doors and feel that same belonging and hope.
Every gift—large or small—helps ensure that survivors never walk this journey alone.
From all of us at the Stroke Life Center—survivors, caregivers, volunteers, and staff—we are thankful for you.
✨Thank you for showing up.
✨Thank you for believing in recovery beyond rehabilitation.
✨Thank you for being part of this circle of hope, support, and thriving.
Wishing you and your loved ones a season filled with warmth, reflection, and joy. We are grateful to walk beside you.
Where Learning Meets Healing: The UT–Stroke Life Center Collaboration Redefining Stroke Recovery
At the Stroke Life Center, innovation doesn’t always come in the form of technology or equipment—it often arrives wearing a student badge and carrying a clipboard. One of our most impactful partnerships is with The University of Toledo’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) Program in the College of Health and Human Services, led by Dr. Tori Smith, PT, DPT, NCS.
Together, we are building something exceptional: a learning environment where stroke survivors and future clinicians don’t just interact—they learn from each other, grow together, and change the way stroke recovery is understood in our community.
A Living Classroom for Both Survivors and Students
At the Stroke Life Center, therapy takes a more human shape. Survivors receive hands-on practice, encouragement, and purposeful movement—not in a sterile clinic, but in a community setting where they feel valued and seen. Thanks to this partnership, survivors experience:
Personalized movement exercises tailored to individual goals
Opportunities to work on walking, balance, transfers, and coordination
Motivation from students who bring fresh energy, optimism, and compassion
Support that bridges the gap when traditional insurance-covered therapy ends
Many survivors describe working with the students as motivating, uplifting, and empowering. They often say that beyond the exercises, it helps them feel useful—because they are not just receiving care, they are shaping the next generation of therapists.
“They listen. They ask questions. They don’t just see me as a patient—they see me as a teacher,” one survivor shared.
Training Tomorrow’s Clinicians to See the Whole Person
For UT students, the Stroke Life Center is a powerful extension of the classroom—one that can’t be replicated in a lab or simulation. Here, they learn to treat not just a diagnosis, but a person. They gain:
Real-world experience adapting therapy to individual needs and abilities
Confidence in communication, encouragement, and clinical judgment
Exposure to the long-term reality of stroke recovery—months and years beyond hospitalization
A deeper understanding of how movement, emotion, identity, and independence are all connected
Many leave with something far deeper than skills—they leave with purpose.
A Long-Term Investment in Northwest Ohio’s Healthcare Future
This collaboration is not just a semester-long experience—it’s a talent pipeline for our region. When students train alongside survivors, they carry that understanding into their professional lives.
Survivors today are shaping the therapists of tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s therapists will understand life after stroke—not just the first 30 days.
Our region will benefit from more stroke-aware, patient-centered providers.
It’s not just impactful—it’s transformational.
A Model Worth Celebrating—and Expanding
The Stroke Life Center and the University of Toledo share a core belief: recovery doesn’t end when therapy sessions do. Real healing requires community, repetition, encouragement, and human connection.
This partnership doesn’t just prepare graduates. It doesn’t just support survivors. It changes lives—on both sides.
We are deeply grateful for Dr. Tori Smith, the outstanding D.P.T. students who bring their hearts and minds to our Center, and the survivors who generously open their stories to help shape the future of rehabilitation.
Halloween at SLC: Costumes, Creativity & Dancing at the WW Knight Nature Preserve Center
This year’s evening Halloween Party at the WW Knight Nature Preserve Center was an absolute standout—an unforgettable night filled with creative costumes, contagious laughter, and plenty of dancing. The Nature Preserve Center offered the perfect warm, welcoming backdrop as survivors, caregivers, and friends came together to celebrate in true SLC style.
A huge thank-you to Nancy Dyer and Rita Mudget, whose festive décor, thoughtful details, and fun-filled games transformed the space into a lively Halloween gathering spot. And a big shout-out to DJ Aby Sadowy with Simplicity Sounds, who kept the beats going and the dance floor buzzing all evening long.
It was more than a party—it was a powerful reminder that joy, movement, and community connection continue to shine bright in life after stroke.
Radiance and Reverie: A Night of Art, Beauty, and Shared Wonder
Toledo Museum of Art • A Stroke Life Center Cultural Experience
There’s something powerful about beauty—especially when it’s shared. This month, our survivors, caregivers, and Stroke Life Center community had the opportunity to step inside a world where artistry, history, and storytelling shimmered from every corner. Our visit to the Toledo Museum of Art’s feature exhibit, “Radiance and Reverie: Jewels from the Collection of Neil Lane,” was more than a cultural outing. It was a chance to reflect, connect, and simply delight in the awe of exquisite craftsmanship.
Guided by our very own Yolanda Mora-Calderon—Toledo Museum of Art docent and proud Stroke Life Center Board Member—we explored more than just glittering jewelry. We explored beauty in resilience, memory, and meaning.
Neil Lane, famed Hollywood jeweler, is known for creating pieces that don’t just sparkle—they tell stories. Every necklace, brooch, and bracelet in the exhibition holds a history. Some belonged to film stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Others echoed influences from royal courts, Art Deco design, or even Renaissance palaces. His pieces carry whispers of lives once lived, events once celebrated, and emotions once felt—just like the people who viewed them.
What made this experience especially meaningful for our Stroke Life Center community?
It wasn’t just the elegance. It was the reflection of personal journeys:
💎 Like jewels, survivors reminded each other that beauty doesn’t disappear—it transforms.
💎 Like intricate restorations, recovery is full of patience, detail, and resilience.
💎 Like vintage pieces, every scar, every step forward, becomes part of a meaningful story.
Yolanda brought these stories to life—not just through art history, but through warmth, insight, and connection. She helped us see not just the jewels, but what they meant.
“Art has the power to reveal what words can’t say,” one participant shared.
“Today reminded me that even after stroke, creativity, beauty, and joy are still very much part of my life.”
As our group strolled through the galleries, something beautiful happened—laughter, storytelling, shared admiration, quiet moments of awe. Our afternoon wasn’t about therapy, or exercise, or goals. It was about joy, curiosity, and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
Why experiences like this matter
They celebrate ability rather than disability
They bring survivors and caregivers into the broader community
They spark new conversation, imagination, and confidence
They prove that thriving isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, social, and cultural
We extend a special thank-you to Yolanda Mora-Calderon for guiding us with such passion, expertise, and heart—and to the Toledo Museum of Art for welcoming our Stroke Life Center community with elegance and accessibility.
It was more than a museum visit.
It was a moment of radiance, reverie, and a shared reminder:
Beauty, like hope, lives in many forms.
Upcoming Fundraiser
Thursday, Nov. 20th
Sponsored by J Bowen Company (prizes) and Chick-Fil-A (dinner)
To reserve your seat today! Click Here
Your generosity fuels hope in motion.
Director’s Corner
Cindy Roshon, Stroke Life Center Co-Founder, Executive Director
Dear Friends,
When I had my stroke at 38, I lost my words, my balance, and for a while, myself. I know what it feels like to be scared, overwhelmed, and trying to rebuild a life that suddenly looks nothing like it used to.
That’s why Sue Rindskopf and I started the Stroke Life Center—so no survivor has to face that fight alone.
Every day, I watch people take brave steps: speaking again, walking again, finding confidence again. Caregivers finally get support. Survivors find a place where they belong.
We keep our programs free because recovery is hard enough without the cost.
This Giving Tuesday, I’m asking from the heart: Please help us keep this community strong. Your gift brings hope back into someone’s life.
With gratitude,
Cindy
Weekly Calendar
Mondays
Aqua Aerobics,
10:30 AM at
NOMS 3130 Central Park West, Toledo, OH
Tuesdays
2nd and 4th Tuesday - PT with Angela,
1:00 PM at the SLC
3rd Tuesday - Dinner Night
This month’s dinner is November 18th at
5:00 PM
Destination: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Address: 4905 Monroe St, Toledo, OH 43623
Wednesdays
Stroke Support Group
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Thursdays
Friendship Bench with Jennifer Lamping
11:00 AM -1:30 PM.
To reserve your spot, just reach out to Jennifer at jenniferl@strokelifecenter.org — she’ll be happy to schedule a time that works best for you.
Thursdays’ rotating activities
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM at SLC
Movie Day
Game Day
Art with Noralyn
For the latest updates and to keep up with all upcoming programs and events, please visit our website: www.strokelifecenter.org
Closed for Thanksgiving (Monday, November 24th through Friday, November 28th.)
November’s Birthdays
Help us celebrate our Stroke Life Center family this month! 💚
Nov 01 — Brbi B.
Nov 12 — Mike C.
Nov 13 — Garry N.
Nov 19 - Thomas (Murphy) M.
Nov 30 — James D.
Wishing each of you a day filled with joy, love, and celebration!
With Gratitude to Our Thriving Like a Star Sponsors
Your generosity fuels hope in motion — and transforms lives long after the music stops.
The heartbeat of this year’s gala came from partners who chose to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with stroke survivors and caregivers. Their investment ensures that every program offered by the Stroke Life Center remains accessible, empowering, and free of charge for every survivor and family we serve.
Below is our formal recognition of the sponsors whose support made Thriving Like a Star possible:
Presenting Sponsor - Mercy Health, Media Partner - 13abc, Entertainment Partner - DanceFam Ballroom & Latin Studio, Marketing and Printing Partner, - Allons-Y! Marketing, Mambo Sponsors - Arista Home Care, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Toledo, Med1Care, RWB Card Insurance, ChaCha Sponsors - EA Lewis & Associates, Edgewood Manor, Garcia Surveyors, Salinas Exteriors, Salon Institute, Signature Bank N.A., Contributing Sponsors - Kingston HealthCare, Peggy Lewis, Savage, Gift of Joy - Kish Ambulance, Chris and Marcia Felix, Fred LeFebvre, James Hartley, Monnie Holman, Sharlene Suico, Dr. Stacey Hoffman, Thomas (Murphy) Murray, Vince Croci, In-Kind & Community Partners - Emmanuel Christian School, Jerry and Rita Mudget, Jori Velichko, Julie Goins-Whitmore, Kenneth and Lisa Humphrey, Lisa Bolton, Mary Murray, Sydney Magnum, Tara Schnell, Tisha Daleska, Silent Auction Donors - Dorothy and Carroll Ashley, Brian and Erica Reid, The Lloyd Design Team Interiors, University of Toledo, Courtney Cousino, Stroke Life Center, Home Instead, Sips, Mancy’s, Sophia Lustic, Inside the Five, Nancy Dyer, Garry and Kathy Newbury, Kingston HomeCare, Color Her Confident, Belle & Bee Photography, Essential Beauty Co., Northwood Jewelers, Fresh Market, Rosie Gantos, Luna Dream Catcher, LLC, BNI Platinum Partners.
Turning recovery into resilience — and survivors into thrivers.
No fees. No barriers. Just support.
2200 Jefferson Ave, 4-A OMOM Wing
Toledo, OH 43604
410-800-LIFE (5433)
www.strokelifecenter.org