On Thursday 15th June 2023, my life changed immediately and forever when I suffered an intra-cerebral haemorrhage. It came without warning on an otherwise uneventful afternoon whilst sitting at my office desk at home. The haemorrhage caused a stroke and within a few minutes I’d lost all strength, coordination, sensation and control of my right arm.

Having no other symptoms, I initially thought I had suffered some sort of minor nerve damage, but was convinced by a work colleague via a Teams call to seek medical help. After a couple of confusing hours, the stroke and haemorrhage was confirmed by brain scan. I was in complete shock and some level of denial. But less than 24 hours later, I underwent emergency brain surgery to treat a rare and little-known condition - dural arteriovenous fistula. The surgery arguably saved my life and certainly prevented further strokes or bleeds on my brain.

After 9 days on a neurosurgery ward, I was allowed to go home and begin my recovery. As well as the right sided weakness, I now had issues with balance, gait, depth perception, spatial awareness, dexterity, memory, sleep disturbance, health anxiety, intense post-stroke fatigue, agoraphobia, self confidence, self esteem, depression and other mental health issues. I had a long way to go - my life had truly been turned upside down.

It was a long road and more than 2 years later, I am by no means at the end of that road. Following the treatment, help and guidance from surgeons, nurses, healthcare professionals, radiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, charity workers, fitness trainers, psychologists, pharmacists, an optometrist, GPs, counsellors, friends, relatives, fellow survivors, colleagues and even some strangers, I have returned to something like a normal life and still have the courage to keep going. I am fortunate in that I haven’t suffered anywhere near the physical side effects of many of my peers, and I am taking the opportunity to use this good fortune to help give something back. In April 2026 I plan to run a half marathon to help raise money and awareness for people in a similar position to me.

An important source of help for me was a very special organisation called Different Strokes. Different Strokes is a small national charity supporting working age and younger stroke survivors. They work to support thousands of families impacted by stroke every year. The majority of staff and trustees are stroke survivors themselves or have a close personal connection to stroke.

The services they provide enable younger stroke survivors to reclaim their lives through active peer support.

Thank you for supporting me and Different Strokes with your donation.