In 2011 my father suffered a severe stroke. I was 16 years old. I don't remember a lot about that day, my mind has blocked out a lot. But I remember my mum waking me up and calling me downstairs. I thought I was late for school, but when I came down I saw the ambulance staff walking through the house. I saw my dad slumped on the floor, looking dazed and unable to string a sentence together. We had no idea how long he had been there, it was likely hours. He was rushed to hospital and the doctors had no idea if he was going to survive or not. I remember asking a doctor with a broken voice if my dad will be ok.

Fast-forward 6 months later my dad made quite the recovery after being told he'll never walk again. With the help of the amazing physiotherapy team at Hillingdon Hospital he learnt to walk again although his left side was entirely paralysed. He led a remarkably independent life relative to the size of his recovery for over 11 years.

Last year he had a fall which hampered his recovery. He stayed in hospital for 2 months where he lost a lot of his mobility and we were once again told he won't walk again. This time the physiotherapy didn't help, mainly due to depression and anxiety my dad was also battling.

Rehabilitation is one of the most important parts of recovery from brain injury. At the time of injury and for the future too. It's important to recognise that it doesn't just make a difference to the person injured, but also to the people that love them and can watch them be happy. It takes care pressure off the family and keeps a persons quality of life as good as possible.

I've decided to raise money for Brainkind by running the London Marathon in 2025. Their approach to rehabilitation is exactly what it needs to be, goal based and focussed on the individual. For the stroke community, rehabilitation is the best way forward at this time and having access to good physiotherapy is life changing.

I've just done couch to 5k so hoping for a real zero to hero story here so please help me 🙃

---

How we help people thrive...

We provide innovative rehabilitation and ongoing support to ensure life after brain injury, or with another neurological condition, can be a life well lived.

Your support enables people living with acquired brain injuries and other neurological conditions in communities across England, Scotland and Wales to access the best specialist rehabilitation available to achieve their goals and exceed expectations.

Our services offer a range of care and treatment options. In our specialist hospitals and neurological centres, we offer rehabilitation – helping people to regain lost skills or to find new ways of compensating for lost abilities.

We also provide long-term care in our residential homes and supported living services.