“We Fall to Rise” – an amazing story still in the making.
Arti lives with her husband Vivek in Ahmedabad, India. Their daughter, Prarthna, now attends University in Australia. They recently have been 
together in Perth, attending a family wedding here. Whilst on holiday, they made time to continue working on Vivek’s communication and swallowing skills through Perth Adult Speech Pathology. These three individuals comprise one of the most amazing teams I have been involved with.
Vivek is a lawyer and soft skills expert. He has written speeches for Prime Ministers. Arti has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and diplomas in Interior Design and Montessori Education. In August 2011, Vivek suffered hypoxic brain damage following a heart attack, which left him with huge communications issues – and for someone who specialises in communications this must have been incredibly difficult.
Arti and Prarthna have worked relentlessly to assist Viv in his rehabilitation. They have achieved amazing things together. They both started teaching Viv to talk again back in 2011. They taught him how to use the computer and iPad and how to hold the telephone. Prarthna even taught him communication using facial and body language. Until now, Viv had refused to have a Speech Pathologist assisting him. What an honour for Perth Adult Speech Pathology to be part of their outstanding team!
Arti’s book, “We Fall to Rise” describes their journey. She gifted this to me after our first therapy session together. I immediately saw Viv’s huge potential to improve and the family’s individual and collective strength, motivation and positive focus to further develop Viv’s oral language: ‘You never know how strong you are – until being strong is the only choice you have.’ (A quote by Arti, p.67, in her book). On the dust-cover of her book, Arti states that “the book has no end, for we have a long way to go….”
It was a pleasure to have worked briefly with them all, as well as with their extended family and my colleague, Jeremy Morgan, Senior Speech Pathologist at the Communication & Assistive Technology Service at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
