Hello everyone!

On the 26th May 2019 I will be running the Edinburgh Marathon. I am doing this to raise as much money as possible for The Stroke Association. My dad suffered a stroke in October this year, he is recovering remarkably well. The stroke association provides incredible support to stroke survivors and their families. This has been the most challenging time our family has ever faced, I’m raising money for all the other families out there that need the same support we have had!

The marathon will be a huge challenge for me, I am an active person but I have never faced something so long and mentally challenging. I’m currently going on a couple of runs a week, but the proper training plan kicks in with a vengeance on the 4th Feb. Between this point and the finish line in Edinburgh I will have covered over 1,100 kilometers!

I’ve not done much fundraising in the past but the target I’m aiming for is £1,000 with the help of my friends and family. It is a great opportunity for us as a family to achieve a positive result from a difficult time faced. Every penny raised, whether I reach my goal or not, will support a fantastic charity offering physical and emotional support for people affected by Stroke as well as doing valuable research in the prevention and treatment of Strokes. 

Dad has barely scratched the surface of the help the stroke association can offer but has found it invaluable in his recovery, the My Stroke Guide area of the website has a wealth of resources to absorb to learn more about stroke. It has helped dad learn more about the symptoms and recovery and crucially has a wealth of good news stories that have really helped us to stay positive.

Strokes are far more common than I ever realised. There are 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK today with someone suffering from a stroke every 5 minutes. My Dad suffered from a stroke at 62, just three years into a well deserved retirement after 43 years work as an accountant. However he was incredibly lucky. My dad collapsed when he woke in the night & my mum responded straight away. Thanks to the quick response of the paramedics and the great work of the team at Queens Hospital Burton he was treated well inside the crucial five hour window. Clot busting drugs worked well, completely clearing the clot in the right side of his brain at which point the recovery was on!

In the first week dad had little to no movement in his left side, he was helped from bed to chair by 3 nurses, his speech was slurred and his face drooped. Ever since that point his personal determination to recover has been the most inspiring thing I have ever experienced. He was standing within a couple of days, walking with a walker inside a week and was back at home shortly after. Since then he has embraced every resource for physical and mental recovery at his disposal and has an extremely open mind to things I wouldn’t have expected him to engage with such as relaxation therapy.

The picture above is of me in December on my very first training run (With my trusty training partner!) The second picture is of my dad a few days after getting home. We walked to the first bench round the corner from his house planning to get to the next bench along each day. On day two he skipped the second bench and went straight for the third! He is now going to the gym regularly, volunteering with mum at the local foodbank and walks the dog every day.

Thanks for reading, I will be incredibly grateful for any small contribution you could make to help me with my goal.

Sam and the Atkins Family