Despite two strokes, Jim Cleland not only salvaged his commanding voice, he offers a helping hand, encouraging words and a sampling of his unique spunk to new stroke victims.

The patient-turned-hospital-volunteer’s favourite days are Tuesday to Friday — at 9 a.m. sharp, the Newmarket resident shows up at Southlake Regional Health Centre, heads to the complex medical rehabilitation floor, picks up a list of things to do and, without fuss or fanfare, does them. The to-do list could be making coffee, getting menus, filling water jugs and, of course, visiting patients, including offering a few words of encouragement while escorting them to rehab.  

On the way, hospital staff acknowledge this volunteer with friendly greetings. Mr. Cleland’s warm manner catches on. In the past four years, Mr. Cleland has logged 2,475 volunteer hours at the local hospital. When performing his duties,  the volunteer  teams up with Yvonne Appleby-Clark, a therapeutic recreation specialist in the unit. Since the pair have been together through thick and thin, it’s a good match.

As a stroke survivor, Mr. Cleland knows first-hand the many challenges ahead for others with the same medical condition.  “After the strokes, I got so ... bored, I was going bananas,” the 64-year-old  explained. “Now I have a purpose. I look so forward to coming here.  Yvonne’s direction is always clear and concise.” When the two strokes sidelined Mr. Cleland, life was scary at first.  However, medical treatment and rehabilitation therapies coupled with self-determination and family support put Mr. Cleland on a different and rewarding path.  “When I was regaining much of my health and  considering volunteering, I knew it was may last chance at being useful,” Mr. Cleland  said.

Independent by nature, the volunteer admits to having to make a few adjustments. “I wasn’t a fellow who liked being told what to do,” Mr. Cleland said. “When it came to Yvonne, I admit:  I had to inhale a few times. I’m loud, but do my best to control it. My right side is shot so my arm flings out. I don’t know it’s happening. Yvonne gives me the signal. When she says, ‘teapot,’ I know my arm is flying around.” A few days before Christmas 2003, Mr. Cleland, the owner of a local pool management business, got up to tend to a client. It was 5 a.m. Within a minute or two, he realized things were far from routine.  “My eyes weren’t right so my wife Maureen drove me to the hospital,” he said.

The short trip to Southlake’s emergency department turned into a hospital stay, followed by three long months of intensive rehabilitation.  “Six months after the first stroke, I took another,” he said. “The second one was worse. I had to learn to walk and to speak again. I had trouble finding words, trouble staying on task and trouble relating. I couldn’t understand how to get from A to B.”    Speech difficulty took Mr. Cleland to the Newmarket Health Centre’s  aphasia centre as an out-patient for about a year.  

“The therapy helped so much that I outgrew the (aphasia) centre,” Mr. Cleland  said. “But, I’ll not outgrow the hospital. I have my volunteering.”  

From the onset of the first stroke, Ms Appleby-Clark understood what Mr. Cleland was experiencing.  Having worked on the floor for 20 years, she knows all too well the signs of stroke and it’s aftermath.  She, especially, knows the progress Mr. Cleland has made. She’s been a part of it.  “Because Jim works with people who have had strokes, he can relate,” Ms Appleby-Clark said.

“I often hear him say, ‘I was just like you.’ He gives others hope. They appreciate Jim and they look for him.”  

One thing is certain: Ms Appleby-Clark knows the value of rehabilitation. She presents herself as confident, happy in her work, while  at the end of the day, she knows she makes a positive difference in the lives of others.  Somewhat shy, it’s obvious Ms Appleby-Clark is a little uncomfortable in the limelight. However, Ruth Morton, co-ordinator of the hospital’s community services, pulls no punches when singing Ms Appleby-Clark’s praises.

“Yvonne knows the value of our many volunteers,” Ms Morton said. “She brings the very best out in people. She knows if someone needs extra care, there’s a benefit down the road.” A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Ms Appleby-Clark’s health-care career included working in mental health, with the mentally challenged and with young people with physical disabilities. Her husband, Mike, and two teenage sons are proud of her.

When it comes to appreciating Mr. Cleland’s progress, Ms Morton simply points to a crumbled up piece of paper. When Mr. Cleland started to volunteer, he had difficulty remembering names. To compensate, he drew an outline of the office and identified staff by name.  “The names were in order of the desks,” Ms Morton said. “One day Jim came in, pitched the paper into the garbage. It was at that moment that I saw a wonderful smile — Jim didn’t need to consult the paper any longer.  He knew our names.  It was one of Jim’s many graduations.”

Ms Appleby-Clark keeps track of Mr. Cleland. “At first I could only give him one-step commands,” she said. “Over time, he improved. Once he got over the fear of failing, he’s been fine. I now send him on his way. He can do a multitude of tasks.”
When Mr. Cleland took to the stage at a recent hospital-volunteer recognition dinner to deliver a speech to more than 200 people, Ms Appleby-Clark wasn’t surprised when he received a standing ovation. “He was perfect,” she stressed.  Born in Toronto’s Cabbagetown, Mr. Cleland has lived a colourful and busy life.

“I had my first fight when I was in kindergarten,” he said. “I won.”In his youth, he rode and showed horses. And, make no mistake: Mr. Cleland has enjoyed living in Newmarket and being self-employed. Meanwhile, he’s proud to be a family man — loves his wife.

“When I took the strokes, I never saw her cry,” he said. “She’s been there for me,” The couple’s son Jamie, daughter Kim and five grandchildren are also on his side.  Even though Mr. Cleland is committed to volunteering at Southlake, he’s taking the summer off. He has to. He has a job — babysitting two of his grandchildren.