Hello everyone, thank you for visiting Kitty and Alex's JustGiving page.

On November 19th 2018 our Dad, Michael, suffered a severe stroke. The stroke caused paralysis of the right side of his body, taking away his ability to walk and talk. 

After spending three weeks in the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, he was fortunate enough to be moved to the Charles Bell pavilion of the Astley Ainslie Hospital where he spent the next 5 months. With the help of occupational, speech and physio therapists and truly amazing nurses and carers, he began his rehabilitation. 

A little over one year on, Dad has made brilliant progress and is now living at home, starting to gain back his independence.

According to recent research, over 100,000 people suffer strokes every year in the UK, that's around one every five minutes. Strokes are horrible and puzzling things, and while NHS services do what they can to help people, the role of charities in providing information, emotional support and research funding is crucial.

That's why on the 24th of May 2020 we will be running the Edinburgh Half-Marathon to raise money for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS). CHSS help individuals suffering from a range of respiratory and heart ailments and brain injuries. They provide services such a specialist stroke nurses and campaign for better understanding of these illnesses. 

When our Dad was in hospital we made use of the wealth of resources made available by CHSS, learning all we could about strokes and seeking professional advice. What they do is so valuable and provides great comfort during the toughest of times.  

Wish us luck as we start limbering up for the biggest run of our lives! Any support you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any donations.

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