A Herts man who lost his job, his family and his home after a severe stroke urges people to reduce their own risk of stroke

A Hertfordshire man who lost his job, his family and his home after a severe stroke is backing the Stroke Association’s plea for people to make one small change to reduce their own risk of having a stroke.

Nine out of ten strokes are linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking or obesity and the risk could be reduced by making changes. The Stroke Association is calling for people to make a one small change starting on Stroke Prevention Day, Friday 14 January.

Simon Marsh, now 54, was working as a business manager with BMW and running two pubs when he had his first stroke 13 years ago.

Doctors were never able to absolutely confirm the cause but Simon is convinced that stress and his fast-paced lifestyle was a major factor.

“I had a strong work ethic and was burning the candle at both ends,” said Simon.

“I was working long hours, then going out and drinking too much and living off take-aways. After a few hours sleep I would get up and do it all again and that just couldn’t carry on.

“I would tell people that it’s really important for them to look at their work life balance and take more care of themselves because having a stroke can be devastating.”

Simon’s life spiralled downwards after his stroke.

“I was in bed and had this awful pain in my left shoulder and arm,” said Simon. “I eventually got off to sleep but when I woke up I had lost the use of my arm.”

He was unable to work, his relationship with his partner suffered and she left him, taking their son.

“I ended up living in a rented room on disability allowance,” said Simon.

“I felt quite useless living there with an arm that didn’t work. It had a shared bathroom it was difficult for me to get a slot to get in and not hold everybody up.

“I became friends with someone else who lived there and we made a plan to allow for me a longer time in the bathroom in return for which I cooked the meal as they were working.

“The doctors tried acupuncture and mirror therapy but nothing was happening for about nine months. I started exercising myself by creeping up the wall with my fingers. I changed my car from an automatic to a manual to force myself to use my left hand to change gears.

“I was determined to get it moving again. Eventually, after working hard I could do pretty much everything I used to be able to.”

Simon’s efforts paid off and he joined a Mercedes Benz dealership as a salesman specialising in Motobility vehicles.

He also found love again when with his second wife Veronika, 39, who works as a funeral arranger.

“She was a customer who used to come into one of the pubs I used to run,” said Simon. “We’ve been together now for 10 years.”

Sadly, Simon had a second stroke in November 2020 which affected the vision in his left eye. In hospital after this second stroke he spoke with lots of other patients to share how he had rebuilt his life after the first stroke.

“I said ‘I'm not a medic or a doctor, I'm someone who has had a stroke’. Some people were thinking it was the end of their world but I said don't give up hope. You can get better than this. If there's proof of that here I am standing in front of you. Don't stress about what you can't do now, give it time.

“One of the people I was with was a bodybuilder and he couldn't move or speak. I saw him a week later on the ward and he said what I had said had really encouraged him.

“As a man you have to be quite strong internally, almost have an angel on your shoulder to make you want to do something. Left alone with no support you can crumble.

“I’m under all the hospitals you can think off for different things but everybody says they can’t believe how positive I am.

“I’d really like to volunteer to go onto the stroke ward to talk to people have just had a stroke.”

Simon is now hoping to return to work after his second stroke but has developed two hobbies which he hopes could give him an income in case this isn't possible.

The Stroke Association has supported Simon in rebuilding his life, with guidance and advice on such things as returning to work, benefits and finance, vision problems and coping with fatigue. “The charity’s stroke support co-ordinator Linda calls me regularly to check on me and make sure I’m ok,” said Simon. “It great to know that somebody cares. It’s like a lifeline.”