A Voice Restored: How Teamwork Changed a Patient's Life

Meet Nancy Graham

For 17 years, Nancy Graham lived without the ability to communicate in a way most of us take for granted. Everyday conversations, expressing needs, and sharing thoughts were major challenges due to aphasia. But today, Nancy’s life looks very different—thanks to collaboration, compassion, and a team that refused to give up.

Amanda Rosson, Clinic Care Coordinator with McCurtain Memorial Rural Health Clinics, recognized that Nancy needed more than routine care. Thinking outside the box, Amanda helped connect Nancy with Jordyn Guest, Speech Therapist at McCurtain Memorial Hospital. This connection became life-changing.

Through speech therapy services and dedicated advocacy, Jordyn was able to secure an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for Nancy. This specialized device allows individuals with aphasia to communicate effectively—and for Nancy, it opened the door to a new level of independence and connection.

Today, Nancy is able to communicate using her AAC device, giving her a voice after nearly two decades without one.

This remarkable outcome is a powerful example of what happens when McCurtain Memorial Rural Health Clinics work closely with the McCurtain Memorial Speech Therapy team. By collaborating across departments and focusing on the patient as a whole, lives can be changed forever.

Nancy Graham’s story reminds us that hope, teamwork,

and innovation can restore more than communication—they can restore dignity, connection, and quality of life.

Pictured: Ms. Nancy Graham with her new AAC device alongside McCurtain Memorial Hospital Speech Therapist, Jordyn Guest.

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