After Loss, Family and Friends Show Gratitude to Kean Center for Communication Disorders

The Center for Communication Disorders (CCD) at Kean University provided more than therapy to Gary Gerold when he began treatment there following a stroke in 2021.

“The clinic gave him a little bit of his old self back,” said his daughter, Blair Gerold. “The social opportunity my dad found there, in addition to therapy, may have been the single most mentally beneficial thing for his well-being. He could go someplace people recognized him as a whole person, who understood the full person who was behind there even if he couldn’t express it at all times.”

A retired account manager who loved meeting people, the Edison man received speech-language services after losing his ability to communicate due to aphasia, a disorder caused by the stroke. 

When Gerold passed away in November 2023, his family requested memorial donations be made to the center at Kean. Thus far, more than $2,500 has been raised from 14 donations.

“These generous donations will aid future patients and students at Kean, and we are so grateful for that support,” said Kean University Foundation Chief Executive Officer William Miller. “We express our deepest condolences to the Gerold family, and are pleased that our Kean student clinicians were able to play an important role in his life.”

James Konopack, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Professions and Human Services at Kean, which includes the CCD, thanked the Gerold family for their “amazing act of kindness and generosity.

“My colleagues and I in the College of Health Professions and Human Services are so proud of our students, faculty and alumni for the work they do, and we are grateful for the love and support shown by these gifts that honor Mr. Gerold's memory and support our ongoing mission,” Konopack said. 

Located on Kean’s East Campus in Hillside, the CCD  is a nonprofit teaching clinic and part of the University's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The clinic offers individual and group therapy services provided by graduate students in Kean’s Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology program. Patients include adults with issues such as aphasia; children with language delays; and others with various speech and language disorders. 

The CCD is one of several Kean clinics that offer services to the public at no cost. Others are in occupational therapy, mental health and autism assessment. 

Many aphasia patients are referred to the clinic after their progress in therapy slows and insurance benefits are dwindling, said CCD Director Susan Mandel, Ed.D. 

The condition is sometimes described as the feeling that you have a word on the tip of your tongue, but can’t come up with it.

“After a stroke, communication may be limited but intellect is not impacted,” Mandel said. “When communication is a struggle, individuals can feel isolated. In addition to individual therapy, clients participate in groups where members become a support system and a place to socialize.”

Gerold was treated during three semesters and bonded with student clinicians. One student, Julianna Austin, made a “communication book” to help him, with phrases and photos of things and places he loved.

Austin, of Edison, who graduates in May, worked with him individually and said she saw him “flourish.”

“Gary had so much to say, I just needed to make it more accessible for him to share his thoughts,” she said. “He was truly an inspiration and taught me many lessons on perseverance, strength and compassion.”

When Gerold died suddenly, the CCD community grieved. His therapy group sent the family a card. Several students attended his funeral.

Kate Clancy of Freehold said she hopes to “embody his humor and dedication” in her future career as a speech language pathologist.

“Gary touched us all so much,” added Michaela Diaz of Middletown. “I hope his family feels the love we are sending their way.” 

Blair Gerold said it was a clear choice for her family to direct memorial donations to the Kean clinic.

“When we thought about it, they had been such a help. It felt like a good decision,” she said. “We have such gratitude for what they do, and the holistic approach they take. I hope they are able to continue doing this for a very long time.”

For more information, visit the Kean Center for Communication Disorders website.