Stroke survivor Grant Kenny is teaching others in the same boat to walk and talk again.
He said he was sitting at work one day when his arm started twitching. Initially he thought it was funny, before he realised what was actually happening.
"I had a few pretty dark days, I don't like even thinking about it," he told Seven Sharp.
But now Kenny's helping those who need it most.
Every two weeks he volunteers at Taranaki Base Hospital, where he was once a patient.
He leads a group of survivors who're all learning to find their voice again after suffering from strokes.
"We have a lot of fun, first and foremost. It's a place where everybody is the same. You can come here and speak in front of everybody and not feel embarrassed," Kenny said.
He said the group is important because when people lose their speech, it impacts every aspect of their life.
"It effects everything about your life, it's hard to talk about it without getting a bit emotional."
The group take part in a number of activities, like each sharing something positive about their week.
They also look at photographs and try to articulate what they can see.
One of the hospital's speech-language therapists Kayley Williamson said the most important thing to remember about stroke survivors is that their intelligence isn't impacted.
"They're all very capable people, they just can't get their message across."
She said it can be "sheer frustration" for survivors who can't communicate their wants and needs to their loved ones.
The New Zealand Stroke Foundation said 9500 Kiwis suffer a stroke each year — about one every 55 minutes.
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