Story
This July I will be cycling 866 miles from London to Milan to raise money and awareness for the Stroke Association. This charity suddenly became very relevant to our family. On the 16th July 2013, my dad, aged 56, a keen skier and cyclist, went to work as always. Out of the blue, he had a massive stroke leaving him almost paralyzed on his right side and barely able to speak. Eight months later he is still in hospital. During this time he has received amazing care including surgery and hours of physio, speech and occupational therapy. This therapy is vital as it is helping my dad to walk and communicate again. He is returning home in May and the therapy will have to continue.
Although this has changed our lives dramatically, it is become very clear to us that we are far from being alone. Every year, over 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke: that’s one every 5 minutes, and almost a million people in the UK are living with the effects.
The Stroke Association has the ultimate aim of making stroke a preventable and treatable disease, and improving the quality of life for people affected by stroke. It is now very obvious to me just how important this work is. I would be extremely grateful for any donations however large or small to help fund further research and support for people affected by strokes.
Please do look at the Stroke Association website for more information about the amazing work they do.
http://www.stroke.org.uk
I will be cycling with Toby Ward who is cycling to raise awareness and support for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.