​Mother of St Helens stroke survivor shares first glimmer of hope

Joey Tildesley-Devine and his family from St Helens are supporting the Stroke Association’s ‘Hope After Stroke’ Christmas appeal, after Joey survived a stroke aged just 10 years old.

In 2018, after dropping Joey at school as usual, his mother Karen came rushing back just ten minutes later because Joey was unwell. As soon as she saw Joey, Karen thought he’d had a stroke. But she could hardly believe it, Joey was only 10 years old.

Karen said: “At the hospital, scans showed he’d had a huge bleed on his brain. The doctors put Joey in an induced coma and had no choice but to operate. His dad Nick and I were terrified we were going to lose Joey. He needed the surgery to save his life, but that surgery could be something that killed him. Joey was a fit and healthy young lad, and he was clever with a really high IQ. It all seemed impossible, we thought our life had ended.

“We were so relieved to see Joey open his eyes. He had survived but could hardly move or say a word. But around three weeks later, Nick and I were by Joey’s bed. We were communicating with him using a printed-out keyboard and I said, ‘You will get better Joey. You know that, don’t you?’ He started pointing to letters: D E T E R M... I was so excited and I said, “Are you determined you’ll get better?” The sparkle in his eyes told me all I needed to know.

“That moment was a first glimmer of hope for us and we couldn’t have asked for a better present. Then on Christmas Eve, Joey was able to come home for two days. He couldn’t get up the stairs, so we had a hospital bed in the living room, right next to the Christmas tree. It was a bit cramped, so I slept on the floor at the side of him. My boy was home.

“One of the things we’ve found really useful is reading stroke survivors’ stories on the Stroke Association’s website. I learned my fears were ‘normal’ and I started to feel it wasn’t the end of the world, and I could see a more hopeful future. The website has lots of information and child friendly resources too. I also found that following the Stroke Association on social media was a great source of support.”

Now two years on, Joey has made amazing progress. He can walk independently but may trip now and again due to foot drop, a muscular weakness that makes it difficult to lift the front part of his foot. Joey couldn’t speak at all after his stroke, but now he may stumble over his words every now and again but can pronounce things well.

Karen added: “Last Christmas, we could never have imagined that Joey would be as strong, mobile and happy as he is today. This has been a tough year for so many reasons, and now we just can’t wait for Christmas.”

Karen is asking people to make a donation to the Stroke Association’s work supporting survivors and their families, as they rebuild their lives this Christmas.

The charity estimates that there are 4,100 people living with the effects of stroke in St Helens, while around 100,000 people have a stroke across the UK every year.

Kate Charles, Director at the Stroke Association said: “When someone’s life has been shattered by stroke, they may feel all hope is gone. But we also know that stroke survivors cling onto even the smallest glimmer of hope. This is what powers them on to achieve what many thought would be impossible. I’ve heard so many stories of remarkable people making recoveries even 20 years after their stroke.

“This pandemic has had a serious impact on our ability to raise funds through our usual community events and activities. Many people in our support services have praised the support they received from the Stroke Association, to build on that first glimmer of hope so that they could rebuild their lives after stroke. Hope might be found in a call to our Helpline; through the friendship and support of our online community; or the ongoing support of our Stroke Association Support Coordinators. Rebuilding lives is impossible without hope. And that’s why we’re asking everyone in St Helens and across Merseyside to donate to the Stroke Association and help give someone the gift of hope this Christmas.”

To donate or for more information about stroke and the vital role that hope plays in stroke recovery and rebuilding lives, please visit www.stroke.org.uk/hope