Two inspirational Co Tyrone women have bravely shared their stories of having strokes at unbelievably young ages in a bid to inspire other young stroke survivors to keep fighting on their recovery journey.
Jamie Houston and Laura Thompson are both young stroke survivors, having had strokes at the unbelievable ages of 30 and just 15.
Jamie and Laura have decided to share their stories in honour of International Women’s Day in a bid to help others and raise awareness that stroke can affect anyone, at any age but it doesn’t have to be the end and there is hope.
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When Jamie, from Ballygawley, was on a night out with a friend last July she expected the night to end with fun and laughter and never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined it would instead result in her having a stroke.
Recalling the day of her stroke, Jamie said: “I was at work at my hair salon as usual but I just wasn’t myself that day. I had a headache and I was doing things that weren’t like me. I kept dropping things and I’d go out to the back of the salon and then wonder why I was there.
“I went out with a friend as planned later that night and she also noticed I wasn’t acting or talking like my usual self. Suddenly, I started losing power in my leg, so we went home.
“I went to bed and a while later my dad came in to check on me. I told him about my leg and that I also felt like the power in my arm was going,” she explained.
“What I didn’t realise was that my face had started to droop, and my speech was slurring. My dad recognised these as stroke symptoms and called an ambulance but unfortunately one wasn’t available, so my sister drove us to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.”
Thankfully Jamie was treated very quickly in hospital, which is vital when dealing with a stroke. She then spent over a week in hospital when statutory rehabilitation began to help her on her recovery journey.
Jamie said: “Physiotherapy and speech therapy started the next day, it was all very quick. Both my grannies had strokes, so I knew how important the rehab exercises are to your recovery.
”I also knew you have to work on things yourself too to help you have the best chance of recovery, so when I was discharged from hospital, I was determined to do everything possible to get back to being the old me.
“My mobility and strength were badly affected. I had to use a rollator to help with my walking. But I worked really hard on my rehab, going to physio, going to the gym, doing exercises at home, practicing my speech therapy.
”I pushed myself to get better. I’m still pushing myself, for example, full power hasn’t returned to my arm, but I believe if I keep working on it, it will.
“It’s so important for people who are affected by stroke to know it might be a difficult journey, but if you keep going and work hard, recovery is possible. It doesn’t have to be the end of everything you knew before.
“I’m back at work now and although some days it can be hard and tiring, I’m glad to be back and doing what I love.”
It was a long road for Jamie, but her hard work and determination paid off and thankfully her health improved over the following months. She then started to think about how she might be able to help others in a similar situation and went on to organise a charity fundraiser for Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).
“I knew the charity do a lot of great work helping people who have been affected by stroke and wanted to do something to help,” she explained,
The show was held at the Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown last month and raised over £6,000, which was split between NICHS and Marie Curie.
Jamie added: “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t gone out that night last summer but my stroke would still have happened, and nobody would have known about it. I would have been at home alone so who knows what the outcome might have been then.”
“I would appeal to everyone, if you don’t feel right go and get yourself checked out as a matter of urgency. With strokes it's so important to get seen as soon as possible.
“I feel lucky that I’ve recovered well and hopefully my story will inspire those who have had strokes to see that having a stroke does not have to be the end.”
Last week Jamie presented Laura, a Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Community Ambassador, with a cheque for £3,016 raised from the fashion show.
Laura understands the impact having a stroke at a young age can have all too well. She is only 33 but, incredibly, she has already battled through two strokes- the first at just 15 years old and a mini stroke ten years later at 25.
Laura recalled: “I had my first stroke in 2005 when I was only a teenager. I had no symptoms; it came completely out of the blue. I was out with some friends when I just dropped to the ground.
“I was taken to hospital in Omagh but nobody’s first thought was a stroke because of my age. The next day I was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where I was in Intensive Care for two months.
“During that period, after many tests and investigations, it was discovered I had suffered a stroke. When I was well enough, I was then moved to Forster Green Hospital in Belfast to continue my recovery.
“I was in Forster Green for three months and on the day I was discharged the doctors told me I would never walk again and would need a wheelchair for the rest of my life. But I proved them wrong,” she added.
Just like Jamie, Laura says she put in a lot of extremely hard work during her recovery period: “If I fell when exercising I got back up and tried again. I also had to learn to speak again through speech therapy.
“The mental impact was hard to deal with too - at 15 years old the only thing I associated with stroke was death. It was difficult but I kept going. My parents were amazing too, helping push me on with my physiotherapy and supporting me every step of the way.”
Laura was determined to recover as best she could: “There was no stopping me – I did my GCSEs and A Levels, went to university and got a degree in Biomedical Engineering. I then started working full time and it was in 2015 when I had a mini stroke.
“Thankfully the effects only lasted a few hours, but the MRI scan I had resulted in me being put forward for brain surgery to prevent future strokes.”
“I went to England for the surgery at a specialist unit. There was a 3% chance the surgery could leave me worse off but I also didn’t want to potentially keep having strokes for the rest of my life, so it was a big decision to have to make.
“Thankfully I came through the surgery OK. My operation was videoed, and it is now used for teaching purposes at Cambridge Hospital. I have no use of my right arm at all and have issues with one of my ankles, but I have come an amazingly long way.
“Like Jamie I am not defined by my strokes, and I have pushed on to live my life to the full. I drive, work full time, go to the gym - nothing will stop me and that’s a message I am passionate about sharing with others.”
Laura became an ambassador for NICHS after raising money for the charity through a coffee morning and telling them her story.
Ursula Ferguson, Director of Care Services at the charity added: “Having a stroke is a life-changing reality for thousands of people in our local community every year. As well as the negative impact on physical wellbeing, stroke can reduce independence, confidence, and happiness.
“Stroke can also affect relationships, take away jobs and careers and render some families isolated within their own homes- but NICHS is here to help with expert care and support.”
If you have been affected by stroke and need support visit www.nichs.org.uk/our-support-services/stroke for further information about Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s stroke support services.
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