To mark my 50th birthday and in honour of my late Dad, I would like to support The National Brain Appeal which is creating a new Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programme (ICAP) at Queen Square.

People with aphasia have difficulty understanding and using language or speech. My Dad, although not diagnosed with aphasia, lost his speech and I saw how debilitating it can be. Aphasia is usually caused by damage to the left side of the brain – most commonly as the result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury or tumour – and is thought to affect around 350,000 people in the UK.

ICAP was launched in 2019 and improves language function in adults with aphasia by drastically increasing the dose and intensity of therapy that patients receive.

The programme's participants are provided 100 hours of therapy (compared with a current national average of 12 hours in total). They are treated in groups of four and receive personalised support for seven hours a day, four days a week, over a period of four weeks. The programme also offers psychological support, and opportunities for family and friends to be involved in some sessions. At the end of the programme, patients are given independent work to complete at home and monitored at three months, six months and after a year.

To apply for longer-term funding The National Brain Appeal needs to generate a proof-of-concept model and sufficient outcome data to take to NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.

If you can please support this worthy cause. Thank you. Catherine x

Charity Registration No. 290173