Katie Castle

On the 16th October 1995 I had a stroke. I was 6 years old. My mum found me collapsed, with one side of my face already dropped. I was rushed to the local hospital, where I had tests and then quickly transferred by emergency ambulance to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

I was diagnosed with a stroke caused by a clot on the right side of my brain. I had completely lost the use of my left side, I was in and out of consciousness and my mother was told I would never walk again. I spent two weeks in hospital and left in a wheelchair.

My recovery wasn't easy, and it still isn't to this day. I had a term away from school and returned in a wheelchair. I eventfully learnt to walk and talk again, but my life would never be the same.

People have always said it's ok because I've never known any different.  It was never ok.  I missed so much and every little thing was and is a struggle. The thing I struggled with most was peoples’ attitudes. Kids are mean and growing up being different was hard. Adults aren't much better. Even now I feel embarrassed when I get stares walking down the street, or when people challenge my use of a disabled parking space.

Anyway enough about the bad stuff: I made it! Well, I'm making it….!

That day was nearly 22 years ago. Here I am;

I'm 27, I can walk (albeit painfully),

I can drive an adapted car,

I went to school and university where I got a degree in occupational therapy.

Last year, I got married and I already have two beautiful children (Jacob is nearly 3 and Amélie is 3 months), so life is pretty crazy but we get by!

By no means am I a Paralympic athlete but there's not much I've set out to achieve that I haven't been able to.

I will always be eternally grateful to those who saved my life back then. And to those who never let me believe anything is impossible. Without knowing it, they help me keep going every day. My mum, my husband, my friends and my children.

I once read that people who have strokes have 1 in 3 possible outcomes - complete recovery, some form of disability or death. Every time I kiss my kids goodnight I'm thankful that I had the middle outcome. I'm lucky that I can live my life by the abilities I do have and not by the ones that I don't.

Sabine Oppenlander - Carer

He survived his stroke, Gary, my partner. Theoretically he should have died. So they keep telling him. They made mistakes along the way, he already had two TIAs and they didn't care for him properly, just discharged him from hospital, so when he had the massive stroke they just shrugged their shoulders. They said he would never be able to walk again or use his arm and hand, yet here he is, walking, albeit with a stick and only 10 steps at a time before he collapses and has to sit down. Unfortunately the epilepsy got the better of him after a year and he declined but he managed to pick himself up again. Then the depression came - side effect of the epilepsy drugs. That is counteracted with Fluoxetine. They want to put him back on Gabapentin but the paracetamol tabs and ibuprofen gel is doing the trick for now. That and CBD oil. So now I want to take him back home, my home that is. Because my family offers us all the support and care we don't get from his. And I bet he will recover even more and at least be able to walk without a stick. In 5 years time. Maybe.

Different Strokes helped us by just being there. Having a group where one can vent one's sadness but also tell about one's happiness is a great help and although Gary isn't "using" your group as such, I tell him what is said and what great advice and support we receive from you and the members. Which makes him more confident and lets him know that he is not alone, that there are people who are in the same situation and who care.