Press release -
Fear of heights was no bar to Isle of Wight fundraiser who abseiled the Spinnaker Tower
Jacky Bowman, 57 from
Shanklin on the Isle of Wight was a Bank Manager until her husband, Andy, had
three strokes which made her decide to take early retirement to be with him.
Jacky abseiled down Portsmouth’s 350ft Spinnaker Tower on Sunday 28 September to raise money for the Stroke Association, the charity which supported them after Andy’s stroke.
Jacky explained: “The Stroke Association in Newport has helped us no end and this is a way of giving something back. Andy lost a lot of confidence and his speech after his stroke and the charity provided communication support and a carers group for me as well.
“I’m very scared of heights and have never done anything like this so I saw it as a big challenge. I was dreading and looking forward to it at the same time.
“I’ve raised over £500 which is my target but I’d be grateful to anyone else who wants to sponsor me.”
Nic Clarke, Fundraising Manager at Stroke Association, added: “We’re so impressed by Jacky’s courage and are very grateful to everyone’s support in this enormous challenge. Together we can conquer stroke. If you want to find out more about the support available from the Stroke Association or our other fundraising activities: www.stroke.org.uk”
Andy has aphasia which is a communication disability which affects a third of people who have a stroke and can make it difficult to speak, read and write but does not affect intelligence.
Jacky was one of 52
people who took part in the charity event over the weekend raising at least
£19,000 for the Stroke Association
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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 around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability. 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
