My name is Chris Jolliffe, I am a 56 year old Stroke Survivor who leads a fantastic bunch of people who all support each other and raise funds for charities close to our hearts.

Read on if you'd like to hear the story of my Stroke, how I recovered with the help of the Stroke Association and why this charity means so much to me...

Nearly 10 years ago, back in August 2017 at the age of 47, I had been on holiday for a week enjoying the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy.

On the last day I woke up in the morning feeling very disorientated, I was slurring my words, I went to the bathroom to clean my teeth and noticed my face was slightly drooped and the water dripping out of the side of my mouth.

I talked to my wife, and we decided to go for a walk before breakfast, I think we both knew something was seriously wrong, I remember her asking me questions like what our daughter’s names are, and other obvious things to check my memory.

We went to breakfast and as I was drinking tea it was dripping out of my mouth down my chin, but I could not feel anything.

We finished breakfast and I, being a man afraid of heights and not wanting to be air-lifted to hospital, decided we should go home and see if it was just a last day hangover which would wear off.

The flight back was meant to be in the evening, so we tried to do normal things to fill the day, but I felt wiped out and spent the afternoon asleep by the cases in reception.

We eventually got to the airport and the flight was delayed! I somehow managed to get through the various check points but, to this day, I am not sure how as I was all over the place. I felt like I was drunk but also felt like I was having an out of body experience if that makes any sense.

We eventually managed to get on the plane and get home very late, so I went to bed hoping to wake up feeling normal again.

I woke up in the morning feeling hopeful, but when I went to the bathroom, I soon realised that the symptoms were still there so we phoned 111 who said they would send an ambulance to check me out.

The ambulance arrived and they took my blood pressure which was through the roof so they said they would take me to hospital as a precautionary measure.

Once in hospital they quickly gave me a CT scan and then, again almost as if it was an out of body experience, I heard the words "you have had a stroke".

I was immediately admitted to the Stroke ward where they placed me on intensive care because, at that point, they had no idea how long it had been going on.

While I was in the ward, I was inactive on the bed, and my knee began to swell. The nurses noticed it and asked me if it had happened before. It was something that used to happen to me occasionally, but I had never got to the bottom of what it was. They told me that they would find out what it was before I left.

A lady visited me and extracted fluid from my knee with what felt like a knitting needle! The fluid they took was sent for analysis.

I spent a week in hospital before they finally let me home.

Once I was back at home I met with Debby and her team from the Stroke Association, she came to visit me at my house and talked through what had happened to me and what they could offer me to help me recover.

Another strange thing that happened when I got home was a visit from the Fire Brigade. The Stroke Association had told me to expect it while I was in hospital as they come to check out your fire alarms. What I didn’t expect was an actual fire engine pulling up outside and the whole crew coming in to check our alarms! It created quite a stir with my neighbours!

A huge part of my recovery was due to the weekly coffee mornings that the Stroke Association organised, it gave me the chance to meet and talk to other Stroke survivors and to understand there was life after stroke. I gained new friends who I keep in touch with.

Debby put me in touch with Lee who was a specialist Stroke Personal Trainer, he also came to see me at home and helped build an exercise program for me at the gym which I started to dread (but secretly look forward to) every Wednesday.

Each week he would put me through various routines and let me know how I was progressing.

During this I got the results from the fluid they had drained from my knee, to top it all, after having just had a stroke, they told me I had gout!

Following my Stroke I was put on preventative medication which I am still on today, this now also includes a daily dose of Allopurinol which stops the gout and allows me to exercise and do the things I do.

After completing my gym sessions with Lee I decided to take my fitness to the next level and joined the local C25K group.

I started the program in January and by the time I had finished it I made lots of new friends and accomplished something I never thought I would be able to do.

After completing my C25K program the next 5k I did was the Stroke 5k run around Stanley Park where I felt truly humbled to meet other Stroke Survivors and their families.

After doing the 5k I was persuaded progress onto the next level which was to get to 10k. Again, I joined a program and, again, I met many new friends and accomplished my new goal. After doing the 10k I became a volunteer helping other people achieve the progression from 5 to 10k.

I joined the local running club and started to compete in 10k races and, eventually some half marathons, including Liverpool and Barcelona!

After Covid the running groups started to fade away so I started my own group which was fun and inclusive and meant people had a social avenue to go down when many had closed.

The group has gone from strength to strength, we have nearly 200 members, we now do walks as well as runs and we do activities at least five times a week. We also do several social activities during the year where we get out and about on trips having fun.

We support each other through life’s adversities, and it has become much more than just an exercise group, it’s a massive part of my life.

We raise money for charity twice a year and this year we have decided to raise funds for the Stroke Association as part of "Make May Purple".

I also became a volunteer for the Stroke Association helping do KYBP events and providing support to other Stroke survivors.

So that's my story, nine years in the making and still ongoing, if you ask me what I do now I start by saying I'm a retired Stroke Survivor but...

I have three daughters, a loving and supportive wife who all put up with what some would say are crazy antics! I would not be where I am today without their support.

I’ve reconnected with my Stroke coffee group and still try to meet up with them all on a weekly basis.

I organise my own running and walking groups as well as the social activities we do. I also volunteer leading Refresh walks for the local council twice a week.

Since my Stroke I’ve become a go-to person for other Stroke survivors, I’ve visited them and their families talked about my own experiences and helped ensure they are aware of all the support options offered by the Stroke Association.

I set myself crazy targets like walking at least 200 miles every month and maintaining my streak of doing over 10k steps a day.

In a strange way I've probably never been fitter, I love the freedom of being retired and being able to get out whenever I want, I’ve been able to help people recover after injuries and get them back to where they want to be.

Fresh air and exercise are free, and I know I am very lucky to be able to do what I do and gain so much satisfaction from being able to help and support others.

We will be doing various events through the month of May, if you are able to, please make a donation however big or small, every penny counts.