The story of one young stroke survivor

Jolene - A young stroke survivor

Many of us believe stroke is an illness that only impacts the elderly. Sadly, suffering a life-altering stroke under fifty is a reality for more people than we might expect.

Jolene McAdam from Armagh was a busy mum to three children under seven when life was turned upside down by a sudden stroke, aged just 34.

“I was working, a mum, perfectly healthy, and then boom - a stroke out of the blue”, Jolene recalls.

Jolene was brought to Antrim Hospital and began tests to find out what was wrong.

“I remember a lady saying ‘Jolene, you’ve had a stroke’. It was a total shock.”

Jolene says, “It was difficult being looked after in hospital. I’m a nurse and having the roles reversed is really difficult to deal with.”

When she was discharged from hospital, Jolene returned to a very different life.

“It affected everything,” she says, “Being able to do things for myself, getting out and about, socialising. At the start, I couldn’t even have a conversation.”

“I needed help with everything - cooking, cleaning, looking after the kids. My youngest, Kaiden, was only one and a half and I couldn’t change his nappy, I couldn’t even lift him.”

Jolene was first contacted by Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke’s (NICHS) Stroke Team during the pandemic and took part in their online Post Rehab Exercise Programme (PREP), which provides additional support to stroke survivors after statutory rehab has ended. Now, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased, Jolene attends a face-to face PREP group in Lurgan.

Jolene says, “Getting out to the group is brilliant. It’s hard to get out and socialise since my stroke. I can’t drive, plus with my fatigue, I’m not able to do a lot of things. With the group, it’s the emotional support of people who have been through it and understand which is so important. You see that you’re not alone – there are other young mums also at the group and we’re all going through the same thing.”

With the support of the PREP group, Jolene is determined to keep recovering. “I’m still not driving, that’s the next big thing for me, and I would love to get back to work. Life has changed, but it’s about looking at the things I can do.”

To find out more about NICHS’s work and their support services, visit www. nichs.org.uk

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