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29
Oct 2021
'It could happen to anyone', says Harrogate woman who had stroke at 37
At just 37-years-old, a Harrogate woman suffered a stroke that left her needing emergency surgery and permanently altered her outlook on life.
Caroline Brady is sharing her story today, on World Stroke Day, in hope of raising awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone, no matter their age.
On January 17, 2020 she was working as a fitness instructor at Harrogate's David Lloyd gym when she began slurring her speech.
Ms Brady finished teaching her abs class but over the next two hours continued to slur and felt dizzy.
Her colleagues grew concerned and called for an ambulance. The paramedics performed a stroke assessment, which she passed, so she was taken to Harrogate District Hospital for further investigation.
Four hours after the initial signs, Ms Brady lost control of her left side and had a stroke in hospital at 1.30pm.
By 4pm she was in theatre to remove a clot on her brain. She said she remembers "a feeling of urgency" around her but it wasn't until she came round that she understood what had just happened.
Fresh outlook on life
Since then, Ms Brady has been focused on recovery. She said she was "extremely lucky" to have recovered to the extent that she's back at work, walking and even running.
She has returned to David Lloyd working part-time as a receptionist, but said her outlook on life has changed.
She no longer teaches gym classes and has been advised to stop weight training but says she is happy just to be walking and occasionally running again.
Following her experiences, she is determined to raise awareness of strokes and who they can affect.
She added:
Ms Brady said she was extremely lucky to be treated so quickly. Other young stroke survivors she's met were left for hours waiting for a diagnosis by doctors who didn't diagnose a stroke.
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She is holding a 12-hour charity event at the gym today from 8am to 8pm. Members and staff are walking or running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a time to raise funds for A Stroke of Luck, a charity that gives stroke survivors access to fitness professionals to help with recovery.
To donate click here.
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