As a stroke survivor of 4 years with left-sided hemiplegia in both my upper & lower limbs! I approached ARNI for help in March 2014. In my particular circumstances post-hospital NHS & private therapy, although extremely useful at the time, had failed to deliver the required level of improvement that I had expected.
ARNI were very easy to contact (in my case, via email) & they were very efficient in matching me with a locally-based professional instructor. My instructor, Gabriella, made me feel very welcome & relaxed on our first session & although she was very thorough in assessing my specific requirements the induction process was far from arduous.
Once accepted as a client I arranged to attend weekly 1 hour therapy sessions. My wife has been made more than welcome to sit in on all of my sessions & has been positively encouraged to provide input & feedback. This has been a massive help for me & ultimately very informative for my wife who now feels better equipped to support my specific rehabilitation requirements outside of the therapy clinic.
My instructor, Gabriella has been able to explain everything about the ARNI methodology in terms that I find easy to understand & together we feel that I have made significant progress. Importantly I have had a big input into defining my own achievable goals & aspirations.
I particularly appreciate the fact that my instructor wants me to improve & achieve my goals just as much as I do. It feels like we have developed a partnership for success.
Based on my experience I would not hesitate to recommend ARNI to any stroke survivor with physical rehabilitation needs & I feel very lucky to have been looked after in such a professional & dignified manner.
April 2015 update: My rehab is still ongoing & I’m still making progress despite not being any good at all at keeping up my exercises when I’m at home! It’s a good job that my angel Gabi always ensures that I’m worked hard during my sessions with her though!
October 2016 update:
Dear Tom,
It has been such a long time since we have seen you.
How do we ever thank you for introducing us to Gabi. She has totally gone
above and beyond in every session.
If we had listened to the doctors David would of still been in a wheel chair
with no movement in his left side but thanks to ARNI, Gabi and Beth David is
now walking (not just around house but really walking around parks even
using public transport!!!) and David has major movement in his left arm.
The other day we stopped in park for coffee and in one hand David had a
coffee the other he was eating a biscuit with his bad arm while
standing!!!!! Wow I was blown away to be honest I screamed as he just did
all this naturally like other people take for granted!!!! But for a stroke
survivor this is major independence which is all David asked for and you
have given this precious gift to him.
David is a Doctor so when all the best most expensive doctors said when he
was in a wheelchair with no movement in his left arm hand at all said this
is the best he can get. David beloved it. But thanks to Google you
appeared at 3am after many many late nights search for help on the net!!!!!
And now he is standing, sipping coffee and nibbling on a biscuit all at
once!!!! What else can you ask for!!! Anyway the point is Doctors see the
problems ARNI see so much potential for improvement!!!! Ypu never promised
us anything which I do appreciated.
Gabi has been working with David for 4 months and wow her positivity and
dedication I think is stronger than mine!!!! Her belief in David is of such
respect and kindness but oh she gets him doing extra exercise and he does
not even know it!!!! Gabi has got me also joining in the sessions which had
been so good as it is the closest people who also need a little left too.
Gabi every session brings a new tool or something to try she never turns up
without her huge smile and huge amount of positivity.
I can not thank you enough Tom and Gabi for all you do for my husband but
what you have done for me, our children, our families and friends. As you
have given David independence which improves yes him but improves all of our
lives the people that love David.
I would love to meet when you have time as I have a few crazy ideas for ypu
to think about!!!!! Check out ‘thenofycoach’.
All my best,
Mandy
