Volunteering: A Key to My Stroke Recovery

By Paul Bovington

My day started like every other Saturday morning. I got up around 7 a.m. to get ready for my weekly parkrun. Running had become a big part of my life, and I was improving consistently. That day, I was focused on achieving another PB (Personal Best) for my 5km run.

The 5km course was simple: 2.5km out and back. As we hit the turnaround point, I glanced at my watch – 11 minutes. We were well within PB territory. But around the 3km mark, something changed. I suddenly felt a ferocious headache. It was intense, and all I could feel was my head pounding, bang... bang... bang! I stopped immediately, trying to walk it off. My brother-in-law quickly noticed something was wrong and urged me to sit down. We found a patch of grass on a slight hill, and I told him I needed to sleep it off. That’s when I lost consciousness. He recognised the signs of a stroke and called triple zero (000).

I had never really thought about strokes before that day. I didn’t even fully understand what one was, though I assumed it was something that only affected older people. That misconception was shattered.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I was placed in an induced coma due to a brain bleed. The doctors performed an emergency craniectomy to relieve the pressure. I remained in a coma for over two weeks. My first memory from that time is the moment I became aware I was in a hospital – but I had absolutely no idea why.

The first few weeks were the hardest. I struggled to comprehend what had happened to me. I had left-side paralysis and couldn’t do anything for myself. I didn’t know if this paralysis would just “go away” in time or if it was permanent. That uncertainty was terrifying. But one thing became clear: if I wanted to recover, I would have to work harder than I ever had before.

I spent three more weeks in the hospital before being transferred to rehab, which I came to call “boot camp.” That was where I really started to make progress. Over the next four months, I relearned how to walk, talk, swallow, shower, and dress myself. My goal was simple: to walk out of that facility. And with the help of a cane, I did just that.

Life post-stroke is tougher. I don’t work anymore, though I’ve been able to volunteer, which has been incredibly rewarding.

After my stroke, I lost a very successful career which left a gaping hole in my life. I was looking for something meaningful to fill it and volunteering seemed to fit the bill. It took a bit of effort, but it paid off in the end.

I now volunteer at two different hospitals under two different health networks. The first hospital network reached out to me as I had done my rehab through them many years earlier and kept in touch. A volunteer program didn’t exist, so I helped start it. Once it was under way, I was hungry for more. Based on the success of the program, I approached another health network a bit closer to home.

The whole idea of a peer support program where someone like me can share my lived experience and offer hope was very appealing to both hospitals and I am very proud of what we’ve achieved.

Now I run two monthly stroke support groups and help with The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Stroke (formerly Stroke SA).

For me, the recovery process is not just about getting through the acute and subacute phases but being able to contribute to my community. It also gives me a sense of meaning; I absolutely love what I do. I’ve always been a people person, and this allows me to be with people - I’m very lucky.

Volunteering is a great gift. If someone has the capacity, capability and desire to give back, my advice is to do it. Get in touch with your local health network. I can almost guarantee they want it as much as you do!