Brent Stroke Survivor Supports Charity to Highlight ‘Survival is Not Enough’

A stroke survivor from Brent, is sharing their story ahead of World Stroke Day, as part of a national campaign to spotlight the fragility of the brain and the life-changing impact a stroke can have on people of all ages.

David Preston, 63, had a stroke on Good Friday, 16 April 2022, which left him with weakness down his left side and a long road to recovery. He is raising awareness of stroke as part of the Stroke Association’s ‘Survival Is Not Enough’campaign, highlighting the lasting physical and emotional effects of stroke and the support survivors and their families need to rebuild their lives.

Before his stroke, David had spent 40 years working at Charing Cross Hospital, eventually becoming Divisional Manager of Histopathology. Following retirement, he continued part-time research into digital pathology and enjoyed a busy life filled with singing in church choirs, writing poetry, amateur dramatics, gardening and cooking.

But everything changed in an instant. David’s wife, Julia, remembers realising something was seriously wrong when he suddenly became unable to stand or move his left side. After receiving emergency treatment at Northwick Park Hospital, David was transferred to Charing Cross Hospital for a thrombectomy to remove the blood clot causing his stroke.

David spent three months in hospital and rehabilitation, gradually relearning how to walk and regain movement. More than four years on, he continues to live with long-term effects, including weakness and spasticity on his left side, visual impairment, fatigue and difficulties with reading and finding words.

The impact has extended beyond David’s physical recovery, changing everyday life for both him and Julia. After discharge, the couple also faced the challenge of navigating life at home and finding ways to continue his rehabilitation.

David said: “You may not recover fully, but you have to make the best of what you have left. There is a path to recovery; it just takes a long, long time.”

Julia found support through the Stroke Association Helpline during an overwhelming period of uncertainty. She said: “When you leave hospital, you feel completely on your own, but the Stroke Association was there for me. The people I spoke to were incredibly sympathetic and supportive. They gave me advice, reassurance and, most of all, they listened to me and understood how I was feeling.”

Despite the challenges, David has found renewed purpose in writing poetry and remains determined to make the most of life. He continues to celebrate small milestones, from walking a little better to cooking simple meals and singing with his choir.

Reflecting on how his life has changed, David said: “I’m not who I was before, but I’m still me.”

In the UK, someone has a stroke every five minutes, with 1.4 million people currently living with a brain injury caused by stroke. More than 85,000 people survive a stroke every year, but recovery is only the beginning. Many face a long and gruelling journey adjusting to the trauma and rebuilding their lives, often left without the essential long-term rehabilitation and support they need.

Despite the life-changing impact of stroke, awareness of its severity and the long-term challenges survivors face remains worryingly low amongst the general public.

Despite one in four strokes happening to people of working age, a third of Brits aged 18-34 (34%) and almost a quarter of 35-44 year olds (24%) believe they’re too young to have one.

The knowledge gap extends to the impact of stroke, with almost a third (32%) unaware that it is a brain injury and nearly one in five (19%) not realising it can cause long-term difficulties with walking, talking, seeing or swallowing. Almost a quarter (22%) underestimate the road to recovery believing it takes just a few months or less.

The Stroke Association’s campaign ‘Survival is Not Enough’ aims to drive awareness of the impact of stroke and support a two-part documentary series commissioned by Channel 4, in partnership with the charity: ‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’. The series follows three young adults, Dan, Saskia and Dec, through the fight of their lives after a life-threatening stroke. ‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’ will be available to stream from Monday 26^th October at 10pm on Channel 4.

Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “A stroke is a devastating brain injury, leaving behind life-changing trauma. In an instant, a stroke can steal away the things that many of us take for granted, such as walking, talking, eating and living independently; the things that make you, you. This new research shows that people still don’t understand a stroke happens in the brain and wrongly believe a stroke only affects older people.

"A stroke isn't only a medical emergency from which you either die or survive, but instead the start of a long and gruelling journey to rebuilding a life. For so many stroke survivors, the fight doesn’t end when their lives are saved, yet every day survivors and their families are left traumatised and without the long-term rehabilitation and support they need. After everything a stroke takes, no-one should have to fight for essential support to recover and live a full life again.”

As part of the campaign, the Stroke Association unveiled a giant brain carved entirely from ice on London’s Southbank, creating a striking spectacle in the heart of the capital. Standing at 2.5 metres tall, the sculpture, which took 150 hours across five days to create, was designed to represent both the complexity and fragility of the human brain.

The ice brain sculpture will be in place at Southbank’s Observation Point on Monday 26^th and Tuesday 27^thOctober, with members of the public encouraged to stop, view the installation up close and find out more about the impact of stroke through the stroke survivors’ stories.

1.4 million people are living with a brain injury caused by stroke. Help the Stroke Association change what comes next: www.stroke.org.uk/brain