I ran the Cambridge Half Marathon on 5th March and am running the 10km Grand East Anglia Run on Sunday 30th April in aid of a local Wellbeing group for stroke survivors including my dad.
My dad suffered strokes 8 years ago and he and my mum are living with the consequences on a daily basis. Once he was out of hospital he started attending the Coastal Stroke Group which is a weekly group held in Hunstanton. It supports them both in different ways whilst giving them opportunities to manage the symptoms that dad lives with. It is a friendly, inclusive and welcoming group offering information, advice, social and peer support, along with exercise, outings, creative workshops and speakers to stroke survivors and their families. The group introduced dad to the Wellbeing group which includes arts and crafts classes and hydrotherapy sessions for the survivors and carers. These are amazing to watch as they engage the survivors and support them in their ongoing rehabilitation.
The Coastal Stroke group and the Wellbeing group are important to me as my dad has returned to painting and drawing which is an interest from his school days. It is also something he really enjoys which is important as he has lost so many other of his other hobbies due to the illness and this would not have been possible without the Wellbeing group.
The miles I am running are a challenge for me but nothing compared to the challenges dad and the other survivors are facing every day. I feel grateful for still having the breath and ability to get out there and raise money for this fabulous cause, so if you feel able to, please donate. Any amount is gratefully received with £50 paying for the physio for the weekly hydrotherapy session, £32 pays for the weekly hire of the pool and £40 pays for the hall for an art and craft session although a few pounds will buy paint or paintbrushes for someone to use in one of the art classes. The above picture is one of dad's.
thank you for reading this.