Birmingham man takes on Mount Snowdon climb after sons stroke at birth

Press release -

Birmingham man takes on Mount Snowdon climb after sons stroke at birth

Luke Winwood, 26, from Great Barr, Birmingham is set to climb Mount Snowdon to raise money for the Stroke Association on Saturday 8 September, after his son survived a stroke at birth.

Luke’s son, Harry aged 2, had a stroke a birth. On 23 June 2016, Harry was born at 37 weeks, following an emergency c-section operation. Not long after, Harry turned blue and stopped breathing. He had continuous seizures and had to be revived four times.

Luke said: “I don’t think me and my wife will ever forget the feeling of worry and upset when we saw Harry stop breathing. It was the scariest day of our lives.

The medical staff managed to stabilise baby Harry and ran some tests that revealed he had a stroke caused by blood clot in the brain.

Luke added: ”We were in total shock to find out he had had a stroke - we were oblivious and didn’t even think it was possible for children to have strokes! After many tests, tears and sleepless nights our baby boy began to fight and went from strength to strength until he was finally well enough to come home. To look at him now you would never know how poorly he was when he was born. We are so unbelievably proud of him.

“I’ve always wanted to fundraise for the Stroke Association, to help give something back to all of the amazing stroke survivors out there and to help fund research into childhood strokes.”

Katrin Winstanley, Community and Events Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “A stroke can happen to anyone at any time, including children. There are over 400 childhood strokes a year in the UK, which equals more than one child every day. We’re thrilled Luke is taking on this challenge to raise much needed funds for the Stroke Association’s work and wish him the best of luck climbing Mount Snowdon.

“Stroke can affect children’s psychological and social development and they need specialist care to help them recover and to adapt. With the support of people like Luke, we can reach out to more stroke survivors and their families as they rebuild their lives.”

To sponsor Luke, please visit: www.justgiving.com/luke-winwood1.

For more information about stroke, visit www.stroke.org.uk or call our helpline on 0303 303 3100.

Topics

Categories

  • A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke. 
  • Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk

    • Contacts

    Angela Macleod

    Angela Macleod

    Press contact Communications Officer Scotland press and Stroke Association research communications 0131 555 7244
    Laura Thomas

    Laura Thomas

    Press contact Communications Officer Wales 07776508594
    Ken Scott

    Ken Scott

    Press contact Press Officer North of England and Midlands 0115 778 8429
    Daisy Dighton

    Daisy Dighton

    Press contact Press Officer London and East of England 02079401358
    Martin Oxley

    Martin Oxley

    Press contact Press Officer South of England 07776 508 646
    Vicki Hall

    Vicki Hall

    Press contact PR Manager Fundraising and local services 0161 742 7478
    Scott Weddell

    Scott Weddell

    Press contact PR Manager Stroke policy, research and Northern Ireland 02075661528
    Katie Padfield

    Katie Padfield

    Press contact Head of PR & Media This team is not responsible for booking marketing materials or advertising
    Out of hours contact

    Out of hours contact

    Press contact Media queries 07799 436008
    Kate Asselman

    Kate Asselman

    Press contact Artist Liaison Lead 07540 518022
    Tell us your story

    Tell us your story

    Press contact 07799 436008

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    The UK's leading stroke charity helping people to rebuild their lives after stroke

    The Stroke Association. We believe in life after stroke. That’s why we campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best possible recovery. It’s why we fund research to develop new treatments and ways to prevent stroke. The Stroke Association is a charity. We rely on your support to change lives and prevent stroke. Together we can conquer stroke.

    Stroke Association
    240 City Road
    EC1V 2PR London
    UK