Support for my mum’s recovery from her stroke

In October 2020 at the age of 45 my mum had her first stroke. Four years later, my mum had made what seemed like a full recovery, every so often we would laugh about her calling my sister Lucy by our dog, Benji’s name or coming out with the wrong words, but this was a small and insignificant lasting impact of the trauma. My mum is my best friend, she helped me through countless hard times, pushing me through my eating disorder and taking me to hours of appointments for my arthritis, she was a superhero in my eyes. However, on the afternoon of the 18th of January my life was completely changed. I received a call from my dad after I had been swimming saying we had to go to the hospital immediately as my mum had been taking by ambulance from the local swimming pool after what my sister had said was ‘a nosebleed’. After parking the car I rushed into the hospital, I was taken into a room, sat down and saw the name badge on the lady who had come to find me: stroke department. I can’t describe the feeling that came over me because it was like nothing I have felt before. Never in my life did I think I would have to question someone, at the age of 17, if my mum would survive. Two weeks on, my mum is in the ITU of the Walton centre. She is being cared for by the most incredible nurses and doctors but is still in such a delicate position and no one knows what the future holds for us. I never thought this would happen to me, I never thought I would be that person. I really hope that sharing my story encourages everyone to realise that anyones lives can change in seconds so we must grab every opportunity we can and make memories while we still have the chance.

I want to raise money to help people, like my mum and our family, who are struck by such devastating events. I will be fundraising by partaking in various events including swimming the distance of a marathon, the very thing my mum was doing when she had her stroke.

The money I raise will be split between the Walton hospital and the stroke association which will be used for research, supporting stroke survivors and their families as well as continuing to provide life saving care for people who find themselves in similar situations to my mum.

Any donations or even just sharing this would mean so much to me and my family x