Brentwood stroke survivor takes on marathon challenge for charity after being told she will never walk again

A stroke survivor who was told she may never walk again is taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon for the Stroke Association.

Nine years ago at the age of 18, Rachel Farrant from Brentwood, was just two weeks into her first term at University when she was rushed to hospital after collapsing on her bedroom floor. Rachel had a life threatening blood clot in her lungs, and the treatment to save her life caused a major stroke.

The consequences of Rachel’s stroke were life changing. After being on life support machine in the Intensive Care Unit, Rachel woke up unable to see, walk, feed herself, and she had forget everything about her life, including who her parents were.

Rachel said: “I remember not knowing who the lady sitting by me was. She kept telling me she was my mum, but I just couldn’t work it out. It turns out it was my mum, but the stroke had really affected my memory. Not only had I forgotten everything about myself and my life, but my short term memory was also damaged, which was so confusing and scary.

“My parents were initially told by doctors that there was a very high chance that I would never recover physically or intellectually. Thankfully, after a few weeks, my sight and mobility gradually began to return but it was several months before I was able to carry out quite simple tasks unaided. My memory continued to be severely affected and I couldn’t read or write. My mum was able to take time off from her job and threw everything into helping me to get back on my feet again. She taught me to read and write, how to hold a pen, how to spell basic words, and would remind me on a daily basis of past memories and people in my life. It took several years of hard work before I was able to return to university and even then I had to change to a university local to home as I would not have been able to live independently.

“Thankfully I’ve now made a full recovery, but I couldn’t have done it without the amazing support I received from family, friends and healthcare professionals. Many people believe that it’s impossible to survive a stroke and then go on to do the marathon - but I’m here to prove them wrong. After my stroke I had to fight every single day to get to where I am today and when you’re faced with something as terrifying as a stroke, nothing else seems impossible to achieve. I'm training with the Weald Park Warriors and I run the Brentwood parkrun each Saturday at Weald Country Park.

"The marathon will be a challenge on the day, but as I’m pounding the streets of London I’ll remember just how far I’ve come and who I’m doing this for; the thousands of stroke survivors and their loved ones across the UK.”

Emma Evans, Events Manager at the Stroke Association, said: A stroke can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time and it turns lives upside down. It’s the fourth biggest killer in the in the UK and a leading cause of disability.

“We’re thrilled Rachel is taking on this challenge to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association and we’re looking forward to cheering her on as she makes her way through London. Around 1.2 million people in the UK are living with the devastating impact of stroke. With the support of people like Rachel we can help more stroke survivors and their families rebuild their lives.”

The Virgin Money London Marathon takes place on Sunday 22 April 2018.To sponsor Rachel, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachel-farrant