My daughter Bella is my motivation

By Hayden

The night of my stroke in March, 2024 is one I’ll never forget. I started feeling confused and disoriented before collapsing on the kitchen floor.

When I woke up, everything had changed. I was completely paralysed down the right side of my body - my shoulder, arm, hand, and leg. On top of that, I couldn’t speak. Not a single word.

I spent three months in the rehab ward at Sunshine Hospital. That place became home while I worked every day to slowly recover. I was lucky to have a great team around me, doctors, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physios, all helping me to face the outside world again.

Since leaving hospital, I’ve pushed hard in rehab. I do physio four times a week, plus hydrotherapy, hand therapy, all of it, and the effort’s paying off. I’m walking now, even running short distances.

Massage and stretching with my physio, George Matta, made a huge difference, especially when we focused on the right muscles and tendons. In the early days, I also used an E-stim device. For those who don’t know, it sticks to your muscles and sends a light electric pulse to wake things up. That, combined with consistency, was key. I had to do it daily before I started seeing real change.

My frozen shoulder has come good too, I’ve regained some range and movement. I can now make a fist, open and close my hand. I don’t have fine motor skills yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll come in time. It’s a long way from where I started.

Even my speech is improving, slow and steady, but I can communicate again. That’s a huge milestone for me and my family.

My biggest motivation through all of this? My 11-year-old daughter. She’s the reason I fight so hard every day. I want to be there for her, be part of her life and be the dad she deserves.

I’m learning to live in the moment. Not looking too far ahead or back, just focusing on now. My priorities haven’t changed much - it’s still all about Bella.

If I could offer any advice to someone else going through stroke recovery, it’s this, when you leave hospital, don’t let depression take hold, try to use those emotions to fire up your motivation.

I found having something planned for every single day, not just once a week, really helps. Be ready. Be consistent. That’s how recovery happened for me.

Right now, I’m working toward getting my driving clearance, that will bring some normality back into my life. I also want to find work again.

Thank you to everyone who helped get me to hospital in time, to my surgeon who saved my life, Bella, and to all the friends and family who’ve supported me through this journey.

As strange as it sounds, my stroke has made me a better person. I see life differently now and with more appreciation. I’ve proven to myself that I can overcome anything, and that’s an incredibly empowering feeling.