I am running for Team Stroke - By Shae
By Shae Martello
I have been a physiotherapist for ten years, helping people who have experienced a stroke holds a special place in my heart. Sixteen years ago, my grandfather had a stroke at age 64.
My Pa was as ‘fit as a fiddle’ with no identifiable risk factors for stroke other than a family history (his mother died of a stroke aged 65). He played Aussie rules football until he was 60, his stroke was out of the blue - it’s proof that stroke can affect anyone.
Pa spent over two years in rehab. I was in high school and would visit him and watch his physio sessions, and the improvements he made were inspirational. I was motivated to become a physiotherapist and work with survivors of stroke. It is a privilege to help other people, every stroke is different and every person's recovery journey is different, and I want to support people the way my Pa was helped.
That is why I am running in Run Melbourne for Team Stroke. The research projects the Stroke Foundation funds, both prevention and recovery are making ground, but a lot more still needs to be done and I want to play my part in that movement.
Recovering from a stroke isn’t like recovering from an ankle sprain. People’s lives are impacted forever, and rehab doesn’t end when they are discharged from hospital.
Even if one life is saved, or recovery made easier, by game changing research our fundraising contributes to, Pa and I will be happy.
People power is needed to raise funds, advocate, support family members and put our collective brain power into stopping stroke. I think about one stroke every 19 minutes, and I imagine the people those statistics represent.
I am not alone in my fundraising efforts, some of the people I work with who have had a stroke are getting on board. They will share my efforts and their stories to raise awareness.
We are all in this together, we are all Team Stroke.