As the daughter of two parents who have suffered strokes, I have witnessed the debilitating effects first hand.

My father had his stroke in 2001. Although he recovered his speech and some of his mobility, the stroke left him permanently disabled and heavily reliant on my mother for help.

Sadly, in 2007 my mother also suffered a stroke. The stroke not only affected the right side of her body, but also damaged the language area of the brain, leaving her with acute aphasia (the inability to express her thoughts verbally). As an intelligent and witty woman, she found it intensely frustrating not being able to speak and is no longer the vibrant person she once was.

When I found out that the Stroke Association was organising a 15K (9.3 mile) sponsored run in November, I knew I had to help.

The Stroke Association is dedicated to helping those who have been affected by strokes as well as funding research into stroke prevention.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Any amount, however small, would be much appreciated by myself, my parents and many others like them.

Thank you,

Cal