Renée Wallen: my son had a stroke

Ahead of the Stroke Association's Childhood Stroke Support and Information Day on Saturday 22 September 2018, Renée explains how speaking to others after her son had a stroke helped her and her family.

"Parent support days are a fantastic way of keeping parents informed of new research and therapy techniques that may be able to help their child. But, more importantly, it gives them the opportunity to meet other families in similar situations.

I run a Facebook support group with almost 500 members. One of the main reasons people join the group is because they feel alone and need other people who understand what they're going through. As much as anyone thinks they know about stroke, until you've actually spent the night awake by your child's bedside, watching every breath and wondering if they'll wake up, speak, walk, be the child they once were - or a new person bringing unimaginable life changes to the family, it's impossible to really understand.

I'm told regularly that the peer support provided through the group is invaluable - advice, guidance, moral support, a place to confide openly how we truly feel, without needing to put on a brave face to our families and friends. It's also a forum for people to share and celebrate their children's achievements and gain optimism for the future. The support days where parents can actually meet face-to-face are a step further.

I'm hugely lucky that Oli made a full recovery and, nine years post-stroke he's graduated and gone to start a new adventure in Dubai. But at the time, a support day run by GOSH introduced me to a couple of amazing friends who have been brilliant throughout my own journey. Together, we worked with the Stroke Association to deliver the earlier Stroke Association support days, and I'm so pleased that with Anna Panton's (Stroke Association Childhood Stroke Project Manager) enthusiasm and skills, these have become a regular part of the charity's Child Stroke Support Service."

For more information about Renée's Facebook group, please visit: www.facebook.com/groups/119066951483785