A Journey of Strength, Family, and Resilience: My Story

Life has a way of surprising us in the most unexpected and challenging ways. For me, that surprise came at the age of 45, a time when I thought I had everything under control. But life had other plans, and within a short span of time, I faced a series of health crises that tested not only my physical strength but also my emotional resilience.

It all began when my son, Jordan, was just 16 years old. It was a seemingly ordinary day at school, during recess, when everything changed. Jordan was in the playground, trying to eat his chips, but something was wrong—he couldn’t get his hand to his mouth and kept dropping them. Thankfully, his close friends noticed something was not right and took him to the sickbay. Unfortunately, the school didn’t recognise the severity of the situation and didn’t call an ambulance. As a mother working at the same school, I rushed to him, and immediately realised something was terribly wrong. I called an ambulance; my son was having a stroke.

It was later discovered that Jordan had a PFO (a hole in his heart) and a gene mutation that likely caused his stroke. The following year of treatment was challenging, but I am grateful to say that Jordan, now 21, has made a full recovery. He has not experienced another one - and for that, I am truly thankful.

Our family has no history of strokes, and both my parents are fit and healthy at 77. However, the experience with Jordan was only the beginning of our journey. Little did I know that I would soon be facing my own battle.

In February of this year, I found myself in a terrifying situation. I lost control of the left side of my body. My husband and son, having been through Jordan’s stroke, knew immediately that something was wrong, and I was displaying the signs of a stroke. My son, who was first on the scene, must have been terrified, but he acted quickly. My husband called an ambulance, which was the beginning of a difficult journey.

After my stroke, I have permanent hearing loss in my left ear, memory issues, and experience severe fatigue. There are days when I feel like I’m dragging my left leg, even though I’m not, and I have tremors that make it feel like my bed is shaking when I lie down. I’m on four different medications, likely for the rest of my life. It’s been traumatic, to say the least, but I feel blessed to still be here.

This year has been one of the hardest of my life. After dealing with vertigo in January, I had a stroke in February, pancreatitis in May, and a hysterectomy in July due to abnormal cervical cells. Then, to top it all off, I found out I also have a hole in my heart. They attempted to close it, but the surgery had to be stopped when they couldn’t get the tube down my esophagus. Now, I’m waiting for a call from Monash Heart Private to see what the next steps will be – it's scary.

Through all of this, my family has been my rock. My parents, who supported me financially during my 13 weeks off work, have been incredible. My husband and son have been my emotional anchors. There was a moment when I hit rock bottom, crying uncontrollably, and my son simply held me and said, “You will be fine, Mum, because you have me.” That moment was a turning point. It reminded me that life is worth fighting for and that I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

Returning to work has been a huge milestone. It’s a step towards regaining my independence and helping to support my family financially. The stress of owing money to my parents is still weighing on me, but I’m determined to do everything I can to repay them.

Life can change in a split second, and it’s crucial to be aware of the signs of a stroke. My family’s quick actions saved my life, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I am proud to be alive, to keep going, and to continue hoping for positive outcomes.

I am blessed to have my family by my side, and I am determined to face whatever challenges come my way with strength and resilience.