Dads are absolute superheroes, right? I know mine is.

Flat tyre - ring my dad (who subsequently comes to my rescue on the hard shoulder of the M61 - who needs roadside cover?! This is a joke - get roadside cover!)

Broken Boiler - ring my dad (and a plumber)

Buying a house - ring my dad

Going to B&Q - ring my dad - totally his favourite shop and he is definitely going to come with me. 

Passed my driving test, passed my exams, got a payrise, bonus, promotion, a new job, had an offer accepted on a house, got through security at the airport (he always insists on this one), arrived at this year's holiday destination (or anywhere that involves driving outside of Bolton or Manchester), got home from visiting him and mum (5 miles down the road!), got my heart broken, have a heart bursting with excitement, it's a day of the week ending in y. 

For all of these things, I ring or text my dad. Not always asking for his help, sometimes I just want his opinion (which I might disregard anyway - sorry dad), or just for him to know, or I ring him just because. To see how he is, ask about his day, to tell him about mine. 

On 5 May 2020, I rang my dad at around 10.30am. He didn't answer - bit weird - he always answers but, I knew he was working away and figured he was busy and would ring me back when he got a minute. 

At around midday, I got a call off my mum - dad was in hospital in Surrey, they suspected that he'd had a stroke and were sending him for a scan and various other tests. Everything stopped, I called my sister, went straight to my mum and we waited for news. 

It was the middle of the pandemic and dad was 100's of miles away, we all wanted nothing but to go to him, and it wasn't allowed. 

A LOT happened over the next 24-48 hours - including a lot of mixed messages from the doctors about the severity of dad's stroke, what felt like a lifetime of waiting around for news, a long drive down to Surrey and back but amazingly, we got our dad home.  

Dad's recovery from thereon in was to me, nothing other than remarkable. Within 6 weeks, dad was driving again and back at work. Twelve months on, I'd say you probably wouldn't even know it had happened. 

We have been unbelievably lucky, although dad's stroke was not caught in time for him to have any reversal medication, the lasting effects for him are minimal and we really couldn't have asked for anything more (other than wishing it hadn't happened at all). 

Sadly, there are so many other people that don't get to enjoy that luxury and their lives are impacted by stroke on a much greater scale. 

The Stroke Association are the UK's leading stroke charity, delivering amazing, life-changing support to over 70,000 stroke survivors and their families each year.

Without fundraisers, they could not provide the support and research that they do. Your donations are so important to rebuilding lives after stroke.

Where your money goes:

£80 could allow a a stroke survivor to attend a six week communication computer course

£199 could pay for one hour of Helpline activity

£310 could pay for the initial training and expenses of a befriending volunteer

£1,685 could pay for a fitness coach to provide stroke specific exercise rehabilitation

£40,000 funds a Lectureship Award for stroke doctor, nurse, therapist or scientist for a year

£450,000 fully funds a Priority Programme Award in haemorrhagic stroke, vascular dementia and stroke, or the psychological and cognitive impact of stroke, which would run over the course of 5 years.

Thank you.