Abbie Johnson

I'm taking part in the Great North Run as part of #TeamStroke

I joined #TeamStroke for the Great North Run.

There are over 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, with 100,000 strokes happening in the UK each year. That's one stroke every five minutes.

We're here to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. We believe everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke, so we work with the stroke community to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support. We rely on your support to provide vital services, campaign for better stroke care and fund research into preventative and rehabilitative treatments.

In 2022, my Uncle Tom suffered from a stroke. Overnight he went from a totally independent person to relying heavily on myself, my boyfriend and our family for around the clock care. If it wasn't for the Stroke Association which helped us understand the unseen symptoms of a stroke such as personality changes, anxiety and different aids available trying to navigate caring for him would have been 1000x more difficult. 

Since then, he has been able to slowly but surely build himself back up, learning to live with less than half the sight he had originally and continuing to power on the daily struggles of being a stroke survivor. He is now at a point where he has a level of independence and has found new ways to do things he enjoys - not letting the stroke and its symptoms rule his life every day. This huge challenge I'm taking on is for him!