I’m the new Content Writer at the National Stroke Foundation. My background is in managing websites and communicating science, and my job here will be to make sure enableme has the latest, evidence-based information for you and your loved ones.
Like most people, I have a stroke story in my family. My mother had her first stroke in 1993, aged only 59. I was unprepared for having a parent suddenly being the one who needed looking after, and at such a young age too. Except that she was back home in Bundaberg, while I was studying in Melbourne—and my brother and sister were in other parts of the country—so carer duties fell mainly on my father.
It was remarkable though to see my parents work through it as a couple, and ultimately become even closer. At my brother’s wedding later that year, when my mother was scheduled to do a reading but struggled with the words, it was again my father who rose to help, and together they made it through.
She kept making steps towards improvement, including being able to walk out of her wheelchair. But her recovery was cut short when she died from another haemorrhage, about 18 months after the first stroke.
That was over 20 years ago, when I knew next to nothing about stroke, but also when medicine still had so much to learn. I’m amazed now to see the stories and resources on enableme, the advances in recovery and treatment, and the research that tells us more about how to prevent stroke. And I’m lucky to be in a position where I can help make it even better.
To do this, we need you to help by telling us how we can improve enableme. What are you looking for when you come to the website? What can’t you find online that you’d like to see? And what are we doing really well, that we can do more of?
You’ve probably seen the survey link at the bottom of the page, which we’d love you to follow and fill out. Or if you like, you can reply to this post and let me know yourself.

