Balloons with special message fly at Rise Up Festival

Whelan said his wife has been flying balloons for 25 years, but had a stroke nine and a half years ago that had left her paralyzed and with Aphasia.

“There were no baskets around that could accommodate what she wanted to do,” Whelan said.

“I went and customized a basket so that it has a door in it, and it has a seat inside for her to sit while she’s able to fly with us and she drives,” he added.

“She was told she would never walk or talk, but she does both, a lot of hard work and a lot of rehab, and away you go.”

Rolfe who was unable to speak after her stroke, has put thousands of hours over several years to regaining her speech.

She said first came the ability to say ta, then finally a syllable and a word, and the ability to sing the words was easier than speaking.

Pilots Bill Whelan and his wife Sandra Rolfe on Wednesday. Ross Lavigne/CHAT News

Brain Injury Relearning Services in Medicine Hat invited the couple for lunch on Wednesday, after finding out about their balloons.

Manager Donna Stein said a lot of times when someone has a brain injury from stroke, or fall or some other type of damage to the brain they develop Aphasia.

“Sandra was explaining, it makes it hard to get the words out,” Stein said.

“You know what you want to say, but you can’t say it,” she added.

“Some people have really strong family support or friendship support. But usually it’s nice if you can have somebody on your team that helps you with the day-to-day struggles.”

She said it’s incredibly important right from the time when the person has their injury that there’s a brain injury rehab team that will work with the person along with speech therapists.

“Then once they’re discharged from acute care and they move on to community care, that’s where we come in here at Brain Injury Learning Services,” Stein said.

“We can stay with the person for as long as they want to continue working on it.”

Rolfe said before her stroke, she had the ability to attempt world records in a balloon, but after her husband has helped her get back in the air.

“He been doing the support of what I was capable of,” Rolfe said.

Rolfe said Aphasia is permanent and required constant therapy, but encourages people to never give up.

She joined Whelan on Thursday morning for the set up of the festivals first flight, but didn’t end up joining him for this particular flight.

The new balloon with the Aphasia message displayed for the first time on Thursday morning. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

The basket having a door to make it accessible for her when she does join.

Whelan said he has a pair of these baskets.

“We have one that’s wheelchair accessible and one that if someone’s able to walk, they can go through,” Whelan said.

“But now the manufacturers are putting doors in baskets. It’s happening more and more. I know here in Western Canada, I can think of at least three baskets that have doors in them, it’s perfect,” he added.

“If they can’t climb over the side, then they can just walk in the basket, put the locks on it, and away they go.”

Whelan is happy he was able to get his wife back in the air and said she is his hero.

“Way back when she was in the hospital and a long time ago, she was pretty depressed, because where she was supposed to be going was not very good,” Whelan said.

“So then I told her, I said, if you want to fly, babe, I said, ‘I’ll go build it for you.'”

Front of the new pink balloon with the Aphasia message on Thursday morning. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

If you catch the festivals last possible flight of the year, Sunday morning remember the Aphasia word warrior balloon in the sky, and the second accompanying one.

Whelan said the main one is all gray.

“It’s got a big bonnet of orange brightly colored fabric sticking out, kind of like a Roman warrior’s head of feathers on the top,” Whelan said.

“The pink dinosaur, the baby pink dinosaur, you’ll see it. It’s so bright. Oh, my goodness. If you love pink, people are going to love it,” He added.

“We’re making our grand entrance here. No one has seen it.”

Those who gathered at Kin Coulee park Thursday morning had a chance to see the pink dinosaur filled up, but it didn’t end up flying.

The balloons with their messages of awareness on display throughout the weekend.

The gray ballon had written on it, “Aphasia loss of words not intellect.”

The pink balloon stating, “Aphasia loss of words not intellect spokes strokes fighting.”

Brain Injury Relearning Services in Medicine Hat will be hosting an open house on the afternoon of Friday, June 6 for those who want to learn what they do and how the might be able to support those in need.

by Jayk Sterkenburg

Balloons with special message fly at Rise Up Festival

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