Magherafelt stroke survivor wins courage award

Clodagh Dunlop, 38, from Magherafelt in Co. Londonderry has been presented with a Life After Stroke Adult Courage Award by the Stroke Association after surviving a brain stem stroke which initially left her with locked-in syndrome. She was given her award by actors James Norton and Victoria Yeates, at a star studded ceremony in the Dorchester hotel in London on 1 November 2017.

Clodagh was a serving police officer when she had a brain stem stroke that left her with locked-in syndrome in April 2015. The stroke left her completely paralysed and she was only able to communicate by using her eyes. She developed a system of blinking to try and convey messages to nurses and her loved ones: one blink for yes, two for no.

Clodagh said: “I felt more vulnerable than I'd ever thought possible to feel. I could see and hear everything but my face wouldn't move, and I could not make any sound at all. I looked lifeless so some people assumed that I couldn’t understand anything. Tears would fall and I couldn’t wipe them away. If someone happened to ask what was wrong I had no way to tell them. To lose your ability to communicate is the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced.”

On her birthday in May 2015 Clodagh’s friend Karen was visiting her in hospital. Clodagh became so frustrated trying to communicate she let out a scream. It was the first time she had been able to make a sound, and it marked the beginning of Clodagh’s incredible recovery.

Initially, Clodagh was told she would have to use a wheelchair. However, after just six months of rehabilitation she fulfilled her dream to walk out of hospital. Clodagh has also worked hard with speech and language therapists to regain her ability to swallow and the use of her lungs, tongue and lips so she could speak again.

Now she has her voice back, Clodagh uses it to campaign for better services for stroke survivors. She’s worked with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to launch the ‘My Journey, My Voice’ project to highlight the devastating impact of communication disability. Clodagh regularly gives speeches to raise awareness of aphasia, a communication condition that affects about a third of stroke survivors. She delivers talks to health professionals so they can understand the impact communication difficulties have on stroke survivors and the need for specialist support.

To mark the anniversary of her stroke, Clodagh decided to go sky diving and completed a tandem jump from 10,000 feet. Not even 18 months on from her stroke, she was driving again and returned to her job as a Police Officer in the PSNI.

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Locked-in syndrome is rare, but it’s probably one of the most frightening experiences anyone can go through. Clodagh’s energy and determination helped her make a remarkable recovery, and now she uses those same qualities to support other stroke survivors. Her courage, zest for life and sense of purpose are truly inspirational.”

The Life After Stroke Awards celebrate the achievements of unsung heroes who are helping to conquer stroke. Around one in three stroke survivors has difficulty speaking and understanding, leaving them feeling lost for words.

To find out more about the Life after Stroke Awards please visit www.stroke.org.uk/lasa