A Stroke is caused due to the lack of oxygen to the brain when an artery gets blocked or bursts, resulting in a range of lasting symptoms.
Speaking to Media Manager Elena Longshaw & Curzon Fan, Employee & Partner of Head Coach Mark Bradshaw, Amanda Atherley, we heard their story and experience.
Elena’s Story:
Thursday 11th April 2019, it was Mark Bradshaw & Will Ryder’s the last training session with the team before Monday night’s Premier Cup Final against Mossley, where Curzon would eventually go on to lift the trophy.
Unfortunately I would never get to see the final, the culmination of a tough season for the team ultimately ending on a high, for me was a night I never expected and the start of a ‘new normal’.
As Mark & Will got the team ready and conducted the final preparations on the field, I sat in the office finalising all things media in preparation & hope that they would be needed; what followed was an extreme headache (which I’ve come to learn is called a thunderclap headache and was a sign of a brain bleed) vomiting, blurred vision and eventually the lack of movement.
What happened next was a blur, from my mum arriving at the club, to Bradders and Will carrying me to Mark’s car, to Bradders’ F1 driving to get me to Hospital, whilst a blur, I am forever grateful to Bradders & Will for their actions that night.
After being transferred to a specialist hospital, undergoing two brain surgeries, spending 2 weeks in a coma, 3 months in hospital along with intense occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy to help me to relearn how to walk and talk again, I was finally discharged, just in time for a global pandemic…
Whilst it has now been 6 years since ‘that’ night, World Stroke Day is a timely reminder that a stoke can happen to anyone, at any age and as a result of anything – I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Curzon Ashton, not only for their help & support at the time but for allowing me to return to the club.
Amanda’s Story:
Tuesday 22nd February 2000 was just a normal day, I had my usual commute to work & a headache that I didn’t think to much of – every morning I would stop off at the café over the road for my 2 rounds of toast.
As I went to make my order I found that my words were not coming out as I thought I was saying them, I tried again and the same thing happened, with an overwhelming feeling that something wasn’t right I went to pick my bag up off the counter but couldn’t. Luckily the lady in the shop knew I worked across the road and helped me walk to the building, however, as I entered I collapsed.
The next thing I remember was being in hospital, I wasn’t sure where I was or how long I had been there. One thing I do remember is my parents coming into the room and my dad walking out upset, they had had the results of the scans which had confirmed I had had a stroke at the age of 23.
I had to spend quite a bit of time in hospital and had to go through speech therapy, physiotherapy and adaptations/equipment added to the house to help with my rehabilitation. At one of my appointments it was confirmed that I had also been diagnosed with a condition called Lupus. Thankfully due to the quick response of the security in the building I worked at I made a great recovery.
Stroke’s can affect any one of any age, if you suspect anyone has had or is having a stroke ring 999 immediately the first few hours are critical – using the FAST, FACE, ARMS, SPEECH, TIME.
