North Somerset stroke survivor receives regional recognition

A stroke survivor from Nailsea has received a Highly Commended Life After Stroke Award from the Stroke Association in recognition of his dedication, commitment and compassion to volunteering.

Richard Kefford, 73, had a stroke in 2013 which left him with a communication difficulty called aphasia. Richard turned to volunteering for the charity after his stroke to help others.

The Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Awards recognise the courage shown by stroke survivors and carers as well as the great work and commitment shown by health professionals, groups and supporter organisations.

The Life After Stroke Award was presented to Richard at a ceremony at the Hilton hotel in Cardiff on 22 January 2019.

Richard was nominated for the Adult Courage Award by Verity Aldous, Support Coordinator at the Stroke Association. Verity said: “Richard is truly an asset to the Stroke Association. Since his stroke he has made a great recovery, and has made it his mission in life to help others make the best recovery that they can too.

“Driven by his own experience Richard has a particular interest in aphasia and spends a lot of time researching this and methods that he can use to help other stroke survivors. Since his stroke Richard has completed an Open University degree and has started creative writing and has been producing a quarterly newsletter for the Stroke Association’s Voluntary Group in Nailsea. And if that’s not enough, he has now also had six books of short stories published!

“Richard has come such a long way since his stroke and completely grasped life again. He is so passionate about issues affecting stroke survivors and has put so much in to helping others with their recovery. Everyone that has worked with Richard comments on how dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate he is – we can’t quite imagine the stroke world without him.”

To find out more about the Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Awards, please visit www.stroke.org.uk/LASA.