I'm taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon as part of #TeamStroke
When I was 16 my grandfather suffered the first of two strokes that would dramatically alter the last decade of his life. Whilst the physical limitations were hard to watch, the social implications were even harder.
My grandfather was an incredibly social person, but in the aftermath of his strokes the people associating with him became fewer and fewer, and as time wore on fewer and fewer people visited him. I remember running into one of my grandfathers best friends a few years after the strokes. He made a promise to visit my grandfather soon, but never did. So many others did the same.
Whilst he eventually reconciled with his new conditions of life, the social aspect at times seemed to be the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Having lived as a stroke survivor for nearly a decade, eventually developing dementia, my grandfather passed away in December 2017, with my family being his only visitors. For having lived a rich social life, the funeral was sparsely attended. No one should have to face a life loneliness as a result of this despicable disease.
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. That are 100,000 people each year facing a drastic change not only in a physical sense, but also social change and potential isolation.
Stroke Association works hard to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. Believing everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke, so they work with the stroke community to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support. They rely on public support to provide vital services, campaign for better stroke care and fund research into preventative and rehabilitative treatments.
