Ryan Conway

My story

Every. Second. Counts. 

I discovered this last year when my Dad suffered what's called a ‘silent’ stroke where you remain conscious the entire time it occurs. You hear of the typical symptoms off the bus adverts - (F)ace (A)rms (S)peech (T)ime yet none of these were present at the time of it occurring. You wouldn’t have begun to think it could have been something serious as a stroke. It started with lying in bed for a while to pass the ‘dizzy spell’, 40 minutes later I received a phone call telling me he was in hospital receiving potentially a life saving procedure after a blood clot.  

What happened that day made me think - what if there was more awareness around symptoms or the different types that can occur. If we knew this we could have minimised the effects of a stroke which are life-changing and if only we phoned an ambulance even a few minutes earlier it could have made all the difference. 

To help raise awareness I have challenged myself to the Great North Run in the hope that I can fund further research into the symptoms of a ‘Silent’ Stroke and provide the best care for any sufferer. Hopefully this awareness can really make the difference in many lives and make sure that Every Second Counts no matter how big or small the signs may be.