Amelia Lambert

I’m joining #TeamStroke for the 2027 Great North Run 💜

I’m running the Great North Run for my Gran, Audrey, and my Grandad, Ernie — both of whom are stroke survivors. 💜

In September 2025, it was a huge shock to all of us when my Grandad suffered a major acute stroke.

Throughout his life, Grandad had always been active. He enjoyed cycling, bowls, walks to the local post office to get his daily — and sometimes afternoon — paper, and attending the Sunderland Antiquarian Society. He had cared for and been devoted to my Gran all his life, and he was 80 when he suffered his stroke.

When Grandad’s stroke happened, my Gran managed to get from their home to a neighbour’s house to get help and call for an ambulance. She had suffered a mini stroke herself several years earlier and was also living with type 2 diabetes and heart failure.

The stroke left Grandad with severe difficulties with his speech. He completely lost mobility and movement on his left side and was unable to walk. But he began the long road to recovery, ready to battle everything the stroke had thrown at him.

In the midst of this, my Gran, who had been trying to cope at home while Grandad recovered, was also admitted to hospital following years of her own health complications.

My grandparents celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary together in Sunderland Royal Hospital shortly before my Gran peacefully passed away on 15 November 2025. At her funeral, donations were made to the Stroke Association.

Grandad continued with his stroke recovery. Slowly, he learned to walk again, regained his speech and mobility, and began to regain his independence bit by bit. 💜

For Father’s Day on 21 June 2026, Grandad travelled down to Cheshire, where we now live, and stayed independently at a local hotel. He spent the weekend with us and enjoyed it — something that, not long before, we could never have imagined.

He continues to amaze us with his resilience, strength and, of course, a healthy dose of Lambert family stubbornness. 💜

There are more than 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK, with around 100,000 strokes happening each year — that’s roughly one stroke every five minutes.

Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a story. I’ve seen first-hand how devastating a stroke can be, but I’ve also seen the incredible determination and strength it can take to recover.

I’m running in memory of my Gran, for my Grandad, and for everyone whose lives have been affected by stroke. 💜

Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean so much to me and my family and will help support the vital work of the Stroke Association.

Thank you so much for your support. 💜

#TeamStroke #GreatNorthRun2027 #StrokeAssociation #StrokeAwareness