I was 23 years old

By Sarah 

I was 23 years old and working as a veterinary nurse when everything changed in an instant. I had just gone to the bathroom at work when I suddenly collapsed. One of my co-workers, who was meant to have already left for the day, found me on the floor – I am incredibly lucky that I was found.

I remember talking briefly, feeling confused and unsure of what was happening. Someone asked me for my husband’s phone number so they could call him. Somehow, I managed to remember it, and then everything went black. 

I was flown by helicopter to Prince of Wales Hospital and rushed into emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in my neck. That clot was the cause of my stroke. The doctors also found smaller clots in my lungs. It is still hard to believe how close I came to not being here. 

At the time, I did not realise how lucky I was to survive. You never think something like that can happen to someone so young, but stroke can happen to anyone at any age. 

I count my blessings every day that I do not have any permanent impacts. I have been able to go on and live a happy life with my husband and our two beautiful kids. My husband was my rock through it all. He was by my side every day, looking after me and reminding me that I was going to be okay. 

During my recovery, I remember just wanting to see my horse Macca. I do not own him anymore, but at the time that thought gave me something to look forward to. It was a reminder of the life I wanted to get back to. 

Even now, part of me still struggles to process how fortunate I am to be alive, but maybe my mind has not fully accepted it yet. 

One of the hardest parts of my story was that people did not take my symptoms seriously at first. The week before my stroke, I had actually been admitted to hospital with chest pain and shortness of breath. I was told that I had pleurisy. I had also been diagnosed with lupus that same year, so they assumed that was the cause. Looking back, I wish someone had looked a little closer. 

If there is one thing I have learned from all of this, it is to be strong and never give up on what you want in life. Surviving a stroke is not the end of your story - it is the beginning of a new one. Every day you wake up and take another step forward, that is recovery. That is living.