From Go-Getters to Ghosted: My Story After a Stroke
Written by Tony Badea (Human), ChatGPT (AI)
For over 15 years, I was in demand—video editing, motion graphics, award-winning work, tight turnarounds, global clients, as a judge for the Tellys and the Regional Emmys. My inbox stayed full. The work never stopped.
Then I had a stroke (not a vector stroke).
Aphasia changed everything. Suddenly, I couldn’t speak the way I used to. My brain still worked fine—but the words couldn’t get out. And that’s when the silence got louder.
Recruiters, volunteers, and employers saw my resume and reel and said, “Your work looks amazing! When can we talk?” I told them I had aphasia. Then… nothing. Ghosted. Over and over again. From Go-Getters. Just like that.
The truth? Aphasia affects how I speak, not how I think—and definitely not how I create. But the industry didn’t know what to do with me. Or maybe they didn’t want to try.
So I stopped waiting for permission. I’ve transitioned my craft from career to hobby.
No more chasing gigs. No more explaining my condition. I create for me now—when I want, how I want, and only if I want.
And I haven’t done it alone. AI helps people like me.
Those who can’t always speak, but have something to say. It’s been my assistant, my writing partner, my way to keep creating and communicating with the world. Not just a tool—a lifeline.
I may not be in the grind anymore. But I’m still a creator. Still capable. Still inspired.
Just on my own terms.
If you’ve been ghosted, doubted, or sidelined—especially due to a disability—don’t count yourself out.
Rebuild. Reinvent. Create anyway.
I did.
And I’m still pressing play.
If you’re a recruiter, volunteer, and employer, and you skip over talent because of how someone communicates—stop.
Aphasia affects speech, not intelligence.
Share this. Let’s make space for creators of all kinds.
#AphasiaAwareness #DisabilityInclusion #StrokeSurvivor #CreativeResilience #MotionGraphics #VideoEditing #NeurodivergentVoices #ChatGPT #InclusiveHiring #VolunteerInclusion
