On August 27th my brother and I will swim 2 miles in Loch Lonond to raise money for the Stroke Association. Strokes are catastrophic for suffers and their families, and our Dad was one of the millions of people affected by strokes every year. We are swimming to help Stroke Association raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of strokes, and also improve the aftercare for stroke survivors all over the UK.

Four years ago, after four years of excruciating pain, we lost our father to a massive stroke.

This wasn't his first stroke. Four years previously, at the age of 55, he suffered an initial stroke which had completely changed his life. He had always been fun loving and active, however the stroke left him unable to drive, unable to walk properly, and unable to lead an independent life. 

Three years later, when he began suffering with severe balance issues, a visit to A & E resulted in him being admitted indefinitely to hospital with a large annuerism in the base of his brain. An attempt to reduce the annuerism led to paralysis, sub standard hospital care led to bed sores, and those bed sores led to him needing an amputation. The night after his amputation, he suffered a colossal second stroke which rendered him brain dead. Two weeks later, my family made the choice to say goodbye to my Dad and end years of suffering.

Your donation could help prevent this from happening to another family, and it is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and we wish everyone else swimming the best of luck!