In November 2020, my brother, 35, unexpectedly had a stroke. He spent almost two weeks in hospital during lockdown 2.0, without visitors, undergoing investigations, treatment and care. Since then, he has continued to receive treatment through the stroke support team and is now transitioning back to his home in Exeter. I know Rob has found the advice and support from the Different Strokes charity incredibly helpful and, after spending two weeks on a ward where the average age was 80, knowing that there are other stroke survivors as young as him has brought great comfort. 

Rob’s life changed dramatically last year. I cannot even  begin to imagine the numerous daily challenges he faces now. We all take for granted the ability to do the little things in life... make a cup of tea, tie your shoe laces, butter your toast, ride your bike, drive your car, even go to work. To have that taken away in an instant must be terrifying, frustrating and hugely unfair. Rob hasn’t had an easy ride through life but I am immensely proud of him and his positivity to just crack on. 

I want to help raise some funds for the Different Strokes charity by trying to run every single day in March and clock up as many miles as possible for the March On Challenge 2021. Thank goodness I won’t be shaving my head again...

Please donate to a cause which has helped Rob and our family over the last few months. If you want to know a bit more about the charity, read on...

Every year 100,000 people have a stroke and a quarter of these people are under the age of 65. That's 25,000 younger people whose lives are changed in an instant.Stroke is also the single biggest cause of disability in the UK, but it's not always the visible disabilities that stroke survivors have to contend with, debilitating fatigue, cognitive problems and personality changes can also be a lifelong challenge, preventing them from returning to work or bringing up a young family.Different Strokes empowers younger survivors to reclaim their lives through active peer support, information and exercise.Different Strokes also support the wider family to get through challenging times with compassion and understanding.This is why I am taking on the 'March On' step challenge to raise vital funds to support the work of Different Strokes. My personal challenge is to run every day in March. Thank you for supporting me.