Rhiannon's Story

Rhiannon Parker-Nicholls is 19 and she had a stroke in June. We just had to share the post she shared earlier this week.

"This weekend has been a huge breakthrough for me.

After collapsing while skating in June from a thrombotic stroke and then suffering two mini strokes in July, It’s been a chaotic few months and not easy for everyone involved.

I want to thank Different Strokes for everything they’ve done. You literally have enabled me to start to rebuild my life again.

My biggest thank you goes to Alex Murphy who both got me to come down to London to your fundraiser, talked me into joining in with the abseil (yes, I abseiled down the ArcelorMittal Orbit!) and got me talking to so many other stroke survivors including the phenomenal Megan Giglia and Bailey Holland . It shows me just how lucky I am, but also that there is a way forward and I’m not alone in all of this. A stroke can happen to anyone at any age and for many different reasons. It doesn't matter if you're fit, unfit, healthy, young, old, black white or anything, it can happen and you've just got to recover from it.

Not only did Alex talk me into doing the abseil, but the wonderful lady asked me to bring my skates and took me to Queens. Because she herself suffered a stroke at 24, I knew she understood what it felt like and the complete lack of confidence I had, especially because my stroke and TIAs where while skating.

Thank you Alex for getting me back on the ice, you’ve no idea how much it means to me, and thank you to every person at the charity for helping me.

Today I got told my stroke is definitely linked to me being ill for the last five years and hopefully, with a few more tests, patience and the right specialists, I will get a diagnosis and be able to function like a normal human being for the first time since 2013. (imagine being able to skate and not be dizzy or have blurred vision! DREAM!) Thank you to everyone involved, including my beyond amazing parents who’ve done everything they can, including helping me relearn how to read and write again. Thank you for helping me start to reclaim my life back. One day at a time and little by little we’re getting there." ❤💪

Jo's Story

For me it all started with ear ache or I should say pain in my neck around my ear and sinus pain along with nausea and high blood pressure.  For several weeks I visited my GP surgery. Many doctors missed the signs.  I was diagnosed with an ear infection even though they said they couldn’t see infection but there was some swelling.  Symptomatically I had pain in my neck, sinus pain where if I coughed or sneezed it shot pain like I’ve never had, high blood pressure and I lost my balance in the doctor’s room.

At work over the next few weeks I found it took me longer to listen and process to understand things.  My employer was not understanding and just carried on repeating faster and louder.  They also missed signs something was very wrong and simply put more excessive pressure on me (but when you work for an employer that actively bullies staff I’m not surprised).

The last visit to the GP was an early evening appointment, where my ear was checked and I was told my ear was fine and I expressed my pain and the doctor pushed hard behind my ear.  I screamed and was crying and was sent away with more pain killers.  I got home and went to bed crying in pain.  In the middle of the night I woke and the pain was beyond anything I can describe.  I saw my phone next to my bed but didn’t know how to use it to get help.  I was confused. I was distressed and screaming but couldn’t talk.

I could see my mobile phone but couldn’t work out what I needed to do with it to get help. My family heard my screams.  All I could say was “pain” and they phoned 111 (I should say here my family only phoned 111 and not 999 because of weeks of diagnosis of ear infection. Had that not been done they would have called 999 with the situation).  At the ‘out-of-hours’ doctors I saw a lovely doctor who I couldn’t even see as my sight had gone.  I couldn’t open one eye the open eye was just total mist!  My mum and sister held me up, practically carrying me.  The doctor was talking but I couldn’t understand but he was very kind.  He knew in his gut something wasn’t right and he trusted that and thank God he did.  He phoned through to the hospital and came out and did more tests.

I was rushed by ambulance to the John Radcliffe in Oxford to the ENT unit!!!!!  Having rude treatment by paramedics in the ambulance I kept saying the word “pain” and had tears as I couldn’t communicate.  The paramedic told me ear infections can be painful and was dismissive, seating me in normal seat of the ambulance unable to hold my body up and the seatbelt was tight around my neck.   I began vomiting and was slumped. I couldn’t hold myself up the seat belt was only thing holding my head up!  I kept saying “pain” and I was made to try and walk out of the ambulance and I couldn’t see or figure out what I had to do to walk or stand.  My mum was holding me up.

They rudely complained and got a wheelchair.  I was slumped in it and kept saying “something’s wrong” but couldn’t explain as I couldn’t get my words out.  My mouth just wouldn’t work normally.  It felt twisted.  My left eye wouldn’t open.  It was heavy and light was horrendous and painful for both my eyes.  I was taken to a side room and examined.  Again, everyone was quite dismissive with me.  I understand it was the middle of the night and I am a younger person so stroke wasn’t on their radar but it should have been!  I was very distressed as I knew something was wrong.  Why was no one listening?  The pain was unbearable.  Then they tried to lay me down flat and I screamed and they suddenly realised something was wrong and I was in a CT scanner in what felt like minutes.  I was sat in the wheelchair waiting for a porter to take me back and he was called into the radiology office.  He came out and said to me he had to take me back slowly as it had been raining and the floor was wet…yeah i thought what the hell are you talking about.  I soon found out. I got back to ENT and was put in a private bedroom in bed and the doctor came and said.  You have three blood clots in your brain called CVST.  I just looked at my mum waiting for her to say something and for her reassuring smile as if I had misheard or to tell me all will be ok.  She then had tears rolling down her face and was just staring at the doctor.  She didn’t move.  It hit me that I had heard correctly.  The doctor said it was bad and they had been told not to give me anything as they would do this on the Stroke ward.  I was immediately transferred to the Acute Stroke Ward and wasn’t given the thrombolysis drug to disperse the clots.  This was the start of my stroke journey.  On arriving at the stroke unit, I had lots of doctors for 2 days.  48 hours flew past.  I was in agony from the swelling in my ear I mentioned earlier….it wasn’t ear infection it was swelling in my brain!  Because it was diagnosed as just CVST here the doctors openly said they didn’t know how to treat it. Nor had they seen it before as it was so rare.  There was no mention of stroke still.  My experiences from this point are varied.  But I want to make it clear – you trust doctors but sometimes you have to listen to your own body and insist things are checked.  For me a simple blood test, weeks prior would have said I had blood clots and may have prevented the extra damage.  If you see a friend or family member, or anyone unwell and just not themselves with changes to their comprehension, understanding, or nausea or pain…. these are all symptoms of stroke.  Get help!  We only talk about the F.A.S.T symptoms and think strokes only happen in old people. THEY DON’T.

It wasn’t until August 2017 (following a long wait from my GP referral to a rehab unit which was the chased by a lovely female haematologist as urgent) where the word “stroke” was mentioned.  Here I had more scans and found out that as well as the 3 CVST there was another small clot in occipital lobe which explained my vision problems.

I spent 2 months as an inpatient at an amazing facility the OCE to help me and then moved to outpatient rehab which I am currently in.  I learned art therapy and set up a web page “Stroke of a Brush” to print my artwork and raise awareness and money for younger stroke survivors.  I have speech therapy provided through the Stroke Association which has been simply amazing.  I owe a lot to them and to my therapist Harriet who understands it’s not about a simple this is what you do to read write speak and spell again.  She tailors it to you and your life and what you would normally do and doesn’t try to create a new you but helps me be me.  Harriet really gets how hard it is for younger stroke survivors and really tries to champion this.

The systems of support are not geared up well for younger or working age stroke survivors. The benefits and support systems are there but it’s very difficult to get them.  I need care, which my mum and family provide and yet because of my age and that we live in the same house my mum cannot get carers allowance, yet if I lived off the system in a house they paid for she would.  The world has changed and the systems of support need to realise strokes happen at any age. If I were married a spouse would get support but because I’m single and living with family we get no support for care.

This world needs to accept the fact that strokes are happening younger and the symptoms should not be dismissed just because a person is younger.  If I had been older and had high blood pressure, balance issues, sight issues hearing and processing issues and one-sided weakness a stroke would have been considered.

Recently in the news they discussed strokes happening in younger people.  “Great” I thought, but then the majority of people interviewed were older and talking of elderly relatives.  It all needs awareness but this angered me because the message of strokes happening more and more to younger people just didn’t come across.

Stroke has many faces and I am trying to champion that.  We may not look disabled or injured but we can be.  It doesn’t mean we are stupid or need people to explain louder or repeat themselves over, we just need more time and support networks geared up for that.  Doctors need to be educated that stroke symptoms are stroke symptoms regardless of age.

I try and see the positives, and many people give up after stroke, but I won’t.  I accept what has happened and believe me I wish it never had, but in a weird way it’s made me a better person.  I’ve learnt to paint and see there are always positives, like art helped me get the use back in my arm.  I don’t have feeling in my leg and was told this is unlikely to change but never say never!  I’m not giving up and I will keep fighting because as much as is known about stroke, there is so much not known about the brain and its recovery or why people are having strokes younger and younger.  The only way more will be known is if we raise awareness and disperse the taboos of being unhealthy, overweight etc., which is why I was happy to share my story when Different Strokes asked for my help.

Rob's Story

In December 2017 I stopped at the post office on the way home from work and as I went to get out of the car I suddenly found myself feeling very dizzy.  I had double vision and also became very hot and felt increasingly sick.  This feeling lasted for around 5 minutes and I somehow managed to call my fiancée using Siri on my mobile phone.  I have honestly never felt that bad in my life – apart from at the end of a very large drinking session!  After seeking medical advice via 111, I went home for the evening, taking ibuprofen as the clinician over the phone assumed I had pulled my neck turning to get out of the car.

The headache I was feeling was excruciating.  It made me feel very sick and I struggled to sleep that night.  I awoke the next morning and as I drove to work I automatically found myself trying harder to concentrate and perceive everything, rather than the usual ‘auto-pilot’ mode which I would normally be in as I drive to work.  As a teacher, it was the last day of school before the Christmas break and I didn’t want to bail on my students – I have a lovely bunch of 10-year olds who were all very excited.

I found the morning difficult, despite not teaching the usual English and Maths, managing the classroom was overshadowed by a large headache.  I was struggling to comprehend the brightness of my screen or even stand up!  At lunchtime I made the decision to go and see a doctor.  On this day, all of the doctors were closed for training so I visited the Walk-In Centre.  As I waited for an appointment I became very warm and I could feel again the awful pain dwelling in my head.  Within a fifteen minute appointment the GP had written an admission form for ambulatory care and sent me up to the local hospital.

Within an hour of being in hospital I had been put on an IV line for the pain and had had a CT scan.  The results weren’t revealed to me, although I was put through to another ward with more specialist doctors on.  Some time later, my fiancée heard my name as doctors were milling through a report.  She heard them mention the ‘stroke unit’, but she didn’t reveal this to me.

A stroke doctor came and explained that I had experienced a large stroke in the cerebellum region of the brain.  Within the scan a large area of material had been starved of oxygen, but they believe the stroke passed quickly, therefore no other area was affected.  It was only after I had been submitted to the stroke unit for approximately 24hours that the impact of the stroke became clear to me.

The feelings of sickness, loss of balance, some co-ordinational motions and fatigue were now plaguing my life.  I felt appreciative to have my own side room at the stroke unit, as this allowed my fiancée and I the time to really take in what had happened.  At the age of 24 I honestly feel that one of the main words I can use to describe this experience is unfortunate.  An ASD repair as a child is thought to be the cause of the stroke, with other causes being ruled out within investigation.

Since being discharged from hospital, I have been working incredibly hard to build up cognitive tasks such as video-games, reading, writing and typing to prepare me to go back to work.  I have also been working hard on various pieces of equipment to improve my balance as well as vestibular processes.

I feel that the Stroke Association, Different Strokes and Facebook have been such a help for me, as they have allowed me to process this event further.  In the future I am looking to raise money for various stroke-related projects and charities, as well as working with young stroke survivors to re-assure them at the beginning and during their journey to recovery.

Ashley's Story

"“My name is Ashley, I’m 24 years old and seven years ago whilst on a driving lesson I had a stroke. I had just turned 17 and was excited to get started with driving, but at the same time I remember getting extremely nervous and stressed before each lesson. When it happened I was actually driving the car and I can remember my whole left side and particularly my left arm and hand going cold and numb all of a sudden. Straight away I leant over to turn off the air con in the car as I thought this was the problem, but by then I had lost the whole left side of my body and my hand just flopped off the steering wheel, feeling very heavy and extremely strange. After the instructor stopped the car we both knew something wasn’t right so he instantly dropped me back home.

When I got back home, the first thing I said to my mum was “I’m having a stroke!”, I then proceeded to drink a glass of water, all of which fell out the side of my mouth. We then rushed to the local Walk In Centre, where they somehow diagnosed that I was having a migraine. Luckily when leaving I was violently sick everywhere, so we went straight to Leicester Royal Infirmary, and then later taken to Nottingham QMC Stroke Ward.

I spent around two weeks in hospital and whilst there I saw the devastating effect stroke can have, not just with the individual but also the family and friends associated. After spending time in hospital I went for Stereotatic Radiosurgery I was told to completely cure me and set me on the path to recovery.

Since leaving hospital to start my recovery, it has been a long hard journey, but I have been so determined and motivated to never give up and not feel sorry for myself and try to get back as well as I can to normality. Luckily I was so young when my stroke happened, it allowed me to recover a lot better than many older individuals. I continued in my recovery to do plenty of ‘physio’ exercises such as picking up things from the floor and using my affected side as much as possible. In fact I was pretty much forced to by my family, and I couldn’t have got to where I am now without them. So, slowly and little by little I regained function in the years post stroke, to the point I am at now where I only have slight weakness/numbness in my left fingertips and an ache/pain in my left side, and I am so happy and grateful to get off so lightly compared to others.

I have been so dedicated since recovering from my stroke to give back, and use my able bodied-ness to help others in a worse position than me. I’ve done a few fundraising events to raise money and also been to help others at my local different strokes group. Also a few big moments for me since recovering have been that I have been to university and completed a degree in a course that I love, and also (one of the biggest moments in my life) I revisited driving lessons after having a psychological fear of it for nearly six years. I passed both the theory and practical tests first time and have now been driving for over a year. Now in the next few months I have planned to do the Stroke Resolution Run, Tough Mudder and a Triathlon.

This experience has made me a stronger and better person, and the whole time I have wanted to show that stroke can be beaten and to never give up and not feel sorry for yourself, because you can achieve anything you want if you put your mind to it. I hope my story can show others that you can get through it if you really want to. We are all in this together. NEVER GIVE UP!”

Bailey's Story

“My name is Bailey and I am 15 years old; when I was three years old I had a stroke. Let’s jump back to 2005, I was just three and my Mum and Dad had just got married. Two weeks after they got married we went on their honemoon which doubled as a family holiday, we went to Spain.

One day whilst on my Mum and Dads honeymoon, I started to feel tired and unable to walk. Suddenly, the right side of my face started to drop, I had lost all movement and then I passed out.

After a few torturous days, I was flown over to Great Ormand Street hospital, where my family finally found out that I had, had a stroke. I hardly remember anything from this horrible time. However,  I look back on photos and hear stories and I have flash backs to certain thing.

I am now 15 years old, and I have had my personal struggles (don’t get me wrong!) But I will never let this disability define me. Growing up, I did not fully understand what had happened to me. In school, I was clueless to why I could not run as fast as everyone else, or why I had to wear an arm and leg lycra sock. Due to this confusion, I beat myself up everyday because of the stroke. I hated myself and envied all the children who I would rather be.

When I got into secondary school, I had developed some anxiety and found it difficult to interact and find new friends. I isolated myself, I did not realise that there are people who understand. That’s when I turned to my school pastoral team and to Different Strokes.

Once I knew that I was not alone, I came out of my shell, and became my own person. And would no let anything get in my way. Now I am accepting myself and the stroke, and I try to think positive about the whole situation. And yes, I did have a stroke, but why be sad about it when I should be working towards helping other children, who are going through the same thing as me, to accept themselves and to let them know they are not alone.”

Abbie's Story

“I’m Abbie, I’m 28, and while I was recovering in hospital I decided to write my story so that I could look back and know I got through it.  I always read other people’s experiences hoping to find someone’s just like mine.  So, I hope now this can help someone else get through another day knowing there is a light at the end of that tunnel.  If I did it, they can too!

Nine months ago… I had a stroke at 28 and here’s what happened.

I am sat on my hospital bed in a ward room that had 3 other ladies as patients.  They were all in their late 80s early 90s.

Visitors walk past whispering, peering and wondering “Why is she in here?  Surely she hasn’t had a stroke?  Why is she on this ward with my mother?”

I feel as though I am in a different room sometimes; that the curtains are magical with sound-proofed doors.

I am embarrassed; embarrassed that they think I had an un-heathy lifestyle that landed me in here, when in fact I was just ‘normal’ with a bit of bad luck. I went to work, came home, I went for dinners with friends…..so my life was never an exciting tale but whose really is?

It all began during Easter bank holiday 2017 when I was out for dinner with the girls.  I had just tucked into my dessert and realised that I had a slight ache at the back of my neck, on the left.  I went dizzy and collapsed off the chair to my left.  Then the sickness started, over and over…luckily I was positioned right next to an ice-bucket…..What a life saver!

I put my head between my legs to stop the spinning, but nothing helped.  My throat felt as though it was closing in on me and panic began.  We were all convinced that it was food poisoning and one of my friends booked me an emergency evening appointment with a GP.

We stumbled to the car but once I got in I felt OK.  Then began the migraine symptoms that I’m so used to.

I have suffered from aura migraines from before I can even remember – tingly arm, numb tongue and face, loss of vision and speech are dangerous signs, but I guess I had just became so used to them.

When we met the GP I was diagnosed with a migraine and a tummy bug and prescribed some tablets to get me through, although when it came to swallow them my throat was in bits and I couldn’t get any liquid down.  It seemed obvious to put this down to the constant sickness.

Home we went.

Finally, I was in bed and sleep would be the healer.  A dark room and a cold flannel would make tomorrow a new day and I would feel fine again.

Sleeping was easy… but then the morning came.

I tried toast and ice lollies to fill my empty stomach but I couldn’t get anything down my throat.  Why was it still so sore and why was it all such a struggle? Then the headache began.  I couldn’t say it was the worst pain I had ever experienced, but it was a pain I will never forget and in a very specific area, just on the left side.  It was as though a spark was shooting from my neck to forehead, over and over.

My fiancé Richard booked me another emergency appointment with my local GP knowing this didn’t match my usual migraine symptoms.  Then began the longest 10 minutes of my life. We live in a three-storey house and I was on the top floor.  The car seemed like a world away.  I couldn’t tilt my head without being sick and I would collapse whenever I tried to stand. How was I going to get down these stairs? On my bum!  I shuffled my way down the floors, constantly thinking “don’t be sick, you’re nearly there, don’t be sick you’re nearly there!”

Finally, I got to the front door where I was then carried to the car.  I still remember the relief when the door closed.  I was in.

Next challenge!….Getting out!

We pulled up to the doctors and I flung my arm around Richard’s neck.  All I wanted to do was fall to the floor and crawl my way there.  I shut my eyes, partly for embarrassment of who I would see while in my choice of mismatched PJs, but also because it was easier to have them closed than to try to take in and make sense of all my surroundings.

I was told to go to hospital.  My eyes were not responding and I couldn’t place one foot in front of the other. In my head I did think that they would see me back out the door when we arrived.  It’s surely just a migraine.  What else could it be? When we arrived I remember asking “Do you think I could go in a wheelchair?” before thinking that it was a stupid comment as someone else would need one more than me.  I’m only 28, but I just couldn’t walk!

Once in the assessment unit I was on the bed and wondering how long it would be until they sent me home. I was given anti sickness drugs (best thing in the world – I could move my head again!) and sent for a CT scan. The doctor mentioned that I would probably be in for the night.  I even laughed to myself, thinking, “well that’s very dramatic!”  But after the CT results I didn’t.  There had been some changes to the left side of my brain.  I was getting transferred to a different hospital who specializes in strokes. Huh?

That night I arrived on the stroke ward and everyone was buzzing around me and everything was checked.  I hadn’t had fluids in a long time as I still couldn’t swallow.  That’s when I was told I was suffering from Dysphagia; which I’d describe as a stroke symptom where your throat muscles are paralysed. A feeding tube was inserted through my nose to finally fill me up. But I can tell you it certainly wasn’t the flapjack that I’d craved for so long.

My left eye wouldn’t open.  On one hand I thought It was just me being lazy and it was easier not to open it.  On the other hand when it was open the double vision was unbearable! My speech was there but it was slurred and more for the fact I couldn’t swallow my own saliva….Who knew we produced so much?

After my MRI it was confirmed I’d had a spontaneous left vertebral artery dissection.  The doctors couldn’t tell me the cause.  I might have been born with it or I may have had a trauma but I may never know as I was perfectly fit.

At first I was unable to walk at all.  I couldn’t read or watch anything.  I wore an eye patch to make my eye work.  I slept for the majority of my days.  I was unable to even sip water and looking after my own daily needs were impossible.

It really was as though my brain had turned itself ‘off’ to my body and I had no control.

I remember one day swirling orange squash around my mouth for some flavour (I had to spit that out though) and it was the best feeling in the world.  I was beaming from ear to ear!

15 Days after the stroke…

I’m now on my 15th day….and today I walked outside without a stick, up some stairs and I have been told I can start eating actual food.

While I’m sat on my bed I’m watching three other ladies go through their own recoveries.  I can forgive their loved ones’ stares and whispers, when one is about to leave to go to a care home for her foreseeable future, one is fast asleep to the world and another is trying to remember who she and her husband are while he looks on at her longingly…

….9 months on 

I can’t quite believe this was me. I now have a wonderful husband. I’m back at work. I’m driving. I have started a new college course. I am going to Miami and I am soon to become and aunt!

My advice to any stroke survivor would be to take it slow. Everyday you will see some sort of success. It could be as simple as opening the curtains! That is still a huge achievement that you were unable to do yesterday. 

People’s reactions never really change when they find out what happened. They just don’t know what to say other than…”but you are so young!?” I have learnt this is ok. Until it happened to me I would never have known just how many strokes occur in younger people. It is now my turn to educate.

Let people help, live for now and know you are stronger than you think!”

Lauren's Story

I had my stroke in September 2012 when I was just 20 and due to be returning to university a few weeks later.  It started very slowly and all I remember was having a horrendous one-sided headache and was occasionally sick when I stood up.  My mum is a nurse and was concerned but over the course of 5 days I was sent home from A&E twice, being told it was just a migraine and it would get better with rest.  On my third visit to the hospital (6 days after the onset of headache) a junior doctor noticed a very slight left-sided weakness so they eventually decided to do a CT scan.  The first scan highlighted a bleed on my brain and I was admitted for observation.

The following day I woke up in the afternoon to have ongoing and regular neuro observations and I was terrified to realise that I was completely unable to feel or move my left side from my neck down.!  The next few hours were a bit of a blur, but I was rushed for more scans and was blue lighted from my local hospital to St Georges in London and the on call consultant was asked to come and review me.  It was here where it was found that I had a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a clot in my jugular vein and a large associated haemorrhage.  It was suddenly a lot more serious than was first thought and my mum had to make the awful decision of what treatment I was to have. 

Along with the doctors it was decided to thin my blood to try and disperse the clots but there was a risk that it could make the bleed worse, which could have been potentially fatal.  Over the next few days I started to realise more of what was going on but still was completely paralysed down that one side.   I was told to expect the fact that I probably wouldn’t walk again and would have to undergo a very intense rehabilitation.

Recovery was one of the hardest things I have ever done both physically and mentally.  I kept a diary of my progress which allowed me to look back to where I started if I was feeling down or had a bad day with no improvements.  I was transferred back to my local hospital and subsequently to a neuro rehabilitation centre where the hard work was to begin.  I had physiotherapy at least once a day and other sessions included occupational therapy and psychology, which boosted my motivation and determination. The hardest part was seeing all my friends go back to university and carry on with their lives when I wasn’t able to do much for myself at all and was relying on other people constantly.

However, despite being told my progress was likely to be minimal I left the rehabilitation unit walking just 4 months after my stroke.  Recovery continued over the months but as soon as I started walking I signed myself up to do a 10km run just 9 months after my stroke.  At the time I didn’t care whether I would walk the whole thing or even crawl over the finish line, but it gave me the determination and drive that I needed.  They haven’t come to an exact conclusion of my stroke but a few months after I was diagnosed with Behcets disease which is a very rare autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of blood vessels.  This is what they think caused my stroke. Behcets has left me dealing with daily pain, fatigue and joint inflammation but now that I am on more medication it is stable….for now.  When it flares up it exacerbates my left sided weakness and there are times when I have to still use a wheelchair or crutches.

Different strokes helped me a lot during my stroke and recovery and I started following through Facebook.  I got to speak to other people who had gone through similar experiences and it was amazing to not know that we are alone.  About a year after my stroke I was contacted by someone who asked me if I would come and visit her daughter who was in hospital having had a stroke.  I was uncertain how I would feel if I went but I am so glad that I did.  It was giving back what Different Strokes had given me only a year before and I was able to give that person some hope that recovery, despite being tough, is possible.

Now, 5 years on, my life couldn’t be any more different.  I started back at university in September 2017 and am a student paramedic.  I worked as an ambulance technician for a few years before and feel that my experiences will make me a better paramedic as I know what it feels like to be a patient and not having any idea what is happening.  I am hoping to graduate in 2020 but know that with my health I may have to take slightly longer.  It is challenging every single day with my health and fatigue, but this only makes me more determined as being a paramedic is my dream.  I know that realistically I won’t be able to work frontline for the rest of my life but even if I can only do it for a few years then I hope that in that time I can help and inspire as many people as I can.

The one piece of advice I would give to someone is not to give up and to use the support of anyone who is offering it to you.  It is easy to look back and see what you used to have or be able to do but unfortunately you can’t change the past.  Having a stroke at any age is horrendous but through it you will become a stronger and more resilient person.