Help us bring hope to families after stroke - By By Linda (Nick, Tayah and Hunter)
I was only 20 when I had my first stroke. 30 years later another, more powerful, stroke came out of the blue.
It happened while I was sleeping. I went to get my 11-year-old son Hunter up for school, but I couldn't speak.
When I got to hospital there was confusion about what had happen to me as I was physically okay. But I couldn’t say any words, so an MRI was ordered.
I was diagnosed with not one, but two strokes, 30 years apart.
My entire family was impacted and for us there was another layer of grief. We had already lost my 18-year-old son Christian in a car accident which is a heartache that we carry with us every day.
Stroke hit me like a tonne of bricks. I lost my job, my mood was affected, I had debilitating fatigue, I found communication challenging, my memory was shot, I didn’t know my left and right, and I was overwhelmed.
The dam burst for me emotionally as well. All the grief that I had held inside after losing Christian came out, mixed with frustration and fear.
Would I recover? Would my family like the new me? Where did I fit now? Was there hope for me?
It was such an incredibly hard time for my husband and my children. And I was so scared all the time. We all knew that stroke was like a crack in the cement of our lives, we would be strong but never the same.
In hospital we received My stroke journey, information and resources from the Stroke Foundation. Initially I couldn’t get my head around any of the information. It wasn't until a few months later that I was able to comprehend what had happened to me and understand that my family wasn’t alone. There were many families just like ours and there was help and guidance available.
It’s been two years since that awful day. We have all gotten along with our lives, met and celebrated many milestones.
Now two years later we as a family have decided to share our stories to raise money for stroke research and support.
We want all families to receive the best in care and support. Stroke is as all-encompassing as it is isolating. People need tailored support when and where they need it.
