A young Deniliquin boy who defied the odds of doctors has gone on to win a national accolade at the 2024 Stroke Awards.
Joe Holden was named one of the winners of the Warrior Award at a ceremony in Melbourne last week. The award recognises children and teens (aged 18 and under) who have raised awareness of stroke, supported the recovery of a loved one, or shown drive and resilience in their own recovery.
Joe was a fit and healthy 7-year-old at the time of his stroke in March 2020. His mum Zara says it all began with a headache.
“We knew something was not right, so we took him to our local hospital, where he was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital for further investigation,” Zara said.
“An MRI revealed Joe had suffered a stroke, we were told he a five per cent chance of survival if he underwent clot busting surgery. We went ahead with it because we were willing to do anything we could to save him.”
After a lengthy stay in hospital, Joe was walking, talking, eating and laughing just a few weeks later.
“Joe has achieved so many milestones, from returning to school, to riding a bike, to swimming, and more recently, finding a passion for cricket. But his biggest love has been returning to the farm and helping during harvest time,” Zara said.
“Seeing him happy and living his absolute best life is a daily reminder of how fortunate we are to have been supported by the miraculous team of medical professionals.”
Joe is among the 600 Australian children to have a stroke each year, about a third of all strokes in children occur under one year of age.
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa Murphy applauded Joe for all he has achieved.
“Joe has shown great resilience through his recovery journey and is an inspiration to his family,” Dr Murphy said.
“We’re thrilled to hear Joe is back at school, and back on the farm doing all of his favourite things. There’s no doubt Joe is a warrior.”
The Stroke Awards celebrate the unsung heroes in our community who go above and beyond to improve the lives of Australians affected by stroke. This includes survivors of stroke, carers, volunteers, fundraisers, health professionals and researchers.
The winners of the Stroke Warrior Award are:
- Joe Holden – NSW
- Piper Wakley-Keighran – NSW
- Spencer McPherson – QLD
There are eight categories in total: Warrior, Improving Life After Stroke, Creative, Courage, First Nations Stroke Excellence, Fundraiser of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and President’s Achievement.
The 2024 Stroke Awards are supported by Medtronic, Abbvie, Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), Ipsen, NAB, Precision Connect and Worrells.
