Three days before my 13th birthday 

By Taylor-Ann 

I’m now 31 years old, but on October 31, 2005, when I was just 12 - three days before my 13th birthday, I had a stroke.  

It was a right middle cerebral vascular accident that happened in my basal ganglia. The cause? A compound variant MTHFR gene mutation, something that doctors at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide discovered. 

I was at school when it happened. I felt an indescribable pain in my head and went to tell a teacher. That’s when I collapsed.  

The stroke caused full left-sided hemiplegia, leaving me unable to move that side of my body. I had to relearn how to walk, talk, and eat, and I also faced cognitive challenges like memory issues, behavioral changes, and pseudobulbar affect, which caused uncontrollable fits of laughter. 

Going through this at such a young age was incredibly difficult. Navigating a lifelong disability while growing into adolescence was a huge emotional struggle. On top of everything, I dealt with depression and bullying at school because I used a wheelchair while I worked hard to learn to walk again. 

One of my biggest challenges has been coming to terms with the fact that I will live with this disability for the rest of my life. I’m still working hard every day, attending physiotherapy, and now, for the third time in my life, I’m learning how to walk correctly. Despite also battling addiction and mental health challenges because of my stroke, I continue to fight for my mobility and independence. 

To any child who has had a stroke in their early teens, I want to say this: you are strong. Keep fighting. It’s not easy, it’s a daily battle, but you will find a kind of resilience and strength that others may never know. In that way, I have felt it’s a blessing. 

I also want to express my gratitude to Brain Injury SA for their amazing care and dedication, and to the NDIS for continuing to help me navigate a life worth living.