Stroke inspires Chester woman to tackle the London Marathon

A young stroke survivor from Tarvin has overcome the odds to take on the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 26 April, and raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.

Andrea Appleton, 40, had a severe stroke in October 2010, following by a mini stroke just four weeks later. She experienced numbness in her left hand side and a burning sensation above her eye, as well as being unable to speak. After being rushed to the Countess of Chester Hospital, a brain scan revealed she had had a stroke on the right side of her brain.

Andrea said: “While I was in hospital I was told that my stroke would affect my speech, the left side of my body, my memory and I would tire very easily. I was gravely worried about what the future would hold for me.”

However, after extensive physiotherapy and support from the Stroke Association, Andrea is now preparing to face the London Marathon, to raise money for the charity which supported her throughout her recovery.

She continued: “I still struggle with left sided weakness and my speech gets slurred when I’m tired. I also get tired more easily and struggle with confidence issues. However, I’m extremely proud of myself for returning back to physical fitness. I used to be in the armed forces, so fitness is a major part of my life and the thought of losing that was extremely difficult.

“This is my first ever marathon so it’s a huge step for me. I’ve been training three to four times a week and I’m now trying to taper my mileage down in preparation for the big day. I want to run for the Stroke Association to achieve something positive from my experience. The charity supports stroke survivors to make their best possible recovery and does so much to raise awareness of this terrible condition”

Louise Lawless, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at the Stroke Association, said: “There are around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s around one every three and a half minutes. We’re so thankful that people like Andrea are raising funds to ensure we can be there for more families affected by stroke. She’s a huge inspiration and we’ll be cheering her on as she races her way through her way through London this April; together we can conquer stroke.”

For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk. To sponsor Andrea, visit www.justgiving.com/andrea-appleton74 or text AALM67 and the amount to 70070.