Both my parents have suffered from a Stroke. My Mum was lucky enough only to suffer a TIA which is classed as a warning stroke, but my Dad was not so lucky to be given such a 'warning'.

Having seen at first hand what they do and how little support they receive in the way of funding, I have decided to try and raise funds through taking part in a number of events over the next 6 months, with the main event being the Flora London Marathon. The Stroke Association is hugely under funded, receiving only 3% of the total funding given to the top three killers in the country.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be able to sponsor me in completing these events, in order to achieve my fundraising target. I am aiming to cover over 180 miles (180.57 to be precise) in just 7 events. (results in red)

2nd March - Liverpool Half Marathon(13.1 miles) 01:35:04
6th April - Oldham Half Marathon(13.1 miles) 01:41:03
13th April - Flora London Marathon(26.2 miles) 03:31:46
18th May - Great Manchester Run(6.2 miles)  00:42:15
1st June - Manchester to Liverpool bike ride(46 miles) 03:10:00
13th July - Manchester to Blackpool bike ride(60 miles)
9th August - London Triathlon(15.97 miles)

If you feel you can give anything, then please feel free to visit the website http://www.justgiving.com/dominickennerley and donate.

About Stroke

A stroke is a brain attack. A stroke happens when a clot gets logged in the brain or bleed occurs in the brain, this causes brain cells to die.

Each year over 130,000 people in and have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days. A third are likely to make a recovery within one month and a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation which means stroke is the biggest cause of disability in the UK. A quarter of a million people are living with long term disability as a direct result of stroke.

Stroke is the 3rd biggest killer in the and the Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages.

The Stroke Association fund research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation ,and help stroke patients and their families one to one through our community services. For further information on what the stroke association provides, please visit www.stroke.org.uk

40% of all strokes could be prevented through simple lifestyle changes such as exercise, healthy eating, regular blood pressure checks, stopping smoking and cutting down on drinking.

In some cases, it is still difficult to detect why the Stroke has happened, one case in particular was that of my Dad.

My Experience of Stroke

As mentioned above, my Mum was lucky enough only to suffer a TIA which is classed as a warning stroke, but my Dad was not so lucky to be given such a 'warning'.

My Dad was unfortunate enough to suffer from quite a severe stroke just over 2 years ago on 30th October 2005. The stroke attacked the left hand side of my Dad's brain which led to him losing the whole use of the right hand side of his body along with his speech. During the next couple of months, he was on the dedicated Stroke ward in theRoyalOldhamHospitalwho worked with my dad and both myself and my Mum to help rehabilitate my father from the Stroke. Over this time, the amount of friends who came to visit my Dad in hospital and the number of cards and well wishes he received gave my Dad encouragement and a reason (if one was needed) to recover. His recovery amazed the consultants and nurses at the hospital, of which he became one of the hospital's success stories with articles being written about him the local press and medical press. From my time spent in the hospital over this time, some other sufferers were not so fortunate to have visitors and such encouragement to try and recover which in some cases led to further deterioration and even death. As you can see, over half the battle of getting through something like this for the sufferer can be the mental battle, not just that of the physical effects.

On returning home, my Dad received further physiotherapy, speech therapy and training from specially trained nurses and consultants from the Stroke Association which has seen him make an unbelievable recovery. 2 years on he is enjoying life again but has also had to have a major heart operation from which further nervous moments were had, but his strong mentality got himself through.

He still has occasions where he can struggle finding the right word. The sensitivity of the right side of his body is not so sharp and he has to be extra careful in situations such as where he can easily be burnt as he can not tell when something is too hot. The Stroke Association continue to offer help and support 2 years on and he attends classes each week provided by them with other sufferers. The classes are a mix of rehabilitation and increasing their skill set such as being able to improve his IT skills.

Thank you for reading this email and I hope you can understand why I want to raise funds for such an important charity.

If you feel you can give anything, then please feel free to visit the website http://www.justgiving.com/dominickennerley and donate. If you are a tax payer, we can also claim an extra 28.2% on whatever amount you donate. All of this will be done at no extra cost to you as long as you tick the "I'm a UK Tax Payer" box. Even if you’re a student, just tick it, please! ;P

If you know of anyone else who you may think would be interesting in donating, please forward this onto them or if there is anyone you think I may have missed off the original email.

Thanks again for reading,

Take care and kindest regards,

Dom

Dominic Kennerley
Email: wokky@hotmail.co.uk
Web: http://www.justgiving.com/dominickennerley

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Stroke Association will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support.

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