Gillingham man whose dad had major stroke tackles TCS London Marathon to raise funds for Stroke Association

A Gillingham actor whose father had a devastating stroke is running the TCS London Marathon for the charity which is helping him to rebuild his life.

Jon Cobb has so far raised more than £5,200 for the Stroke Association.

Jon’s father, Steve, 64, had a stroke at the family home in September last year and spent three months in Maidstone Hospital and a care home.

“My father had his whole world flipped upside down in the matter of moments and was left with a long road of recovery ahead of him to get him back to living his life independently,” said Jon, 30.

“The right side of his body has been affected. He lost control of his right arm and leg, had to relearn how to speak, write and eat. All the little daily tasks – that we take for granted – he could no longer do on his own and is still re-learning.

“He still uses a wheelchair but is working hard and making great progress with the support of his therapy team and is hopeful of walking again.”

At the time of his stroke, Steve was a territory sales manager for a retail agency called Reach, but he has been unable to return to work.

Doctors believe that the stroke was caused by Atrial Fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots in the heart which could travel to the brain and cause a blockage.

“The stroke came out of the blue in the middle of the night,” said Jon. “Dad was the fittest man any of us knew; played football twice a week with friends at Anchorians Football Club. He didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, exercised daily and the fact that this happened to him stunned us all.

“The Stroke Association have been with us every step of the way. They’ve helped us arrange benefits, given access to carer support, leant my Dad an iPad to aid his recovery/access to normality, they’ve spoken with doctors on our behalf and enabled us to join a community of stroke survivors whom my Dad could relate to and engage with.

“I can't wait to make my Dad proud by running the London Marathon for the Stroke Association.”

Jon was a keen footballer when he was younger but had to sacrifice that for his acting career and has had to work hard to get in shape for the London Marathon on Sunday 2 October.

His acting credits include being in the original World Premiere Cast of Disney’s ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ and the 'War Horse' International tour.

As the days to the London Marathon tick down, Jon has been fitting in training around filming three feature films – ‘Waking The Beast’, ‘War Blade’ and ‘Misanthropos’– and just finished playing Bottom in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in Covent Garden.

To sponsor Jon, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jonathan-cobb

Jovita Ivinskaite, relationship fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “It’s fantastic that we can finally welcome back all participants and spectators for this year’s marathon – especially everyone running for the Stroke Association.

“There are around 100,000 strokes every year in the UK and 1.3 million people are living with the devastating impact of stroke. We believe that everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke and we’re grateful to Jon for taking on this famous challenge to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.

“A stroke can happen to anyone at any time and it turns lives upside down. However, with the support of people like Jon we can help more stroke survivors and their families as they rebuild their lives.”

The Stroke Association is also looking to recruit volunteers for its cheer squads at Canary Wharf and Tower Bridge Road. If you’re free on Sunday 2 October and would like to join the #TeamStroke cheer squad, please email: londonmarathon@stroke.org.uk.

For more information about stroke and the support services for survivors and carers visit www.stroke.org.uk or call the Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100.