Press release —
SURVIVAL IS NOT ENOUGH – GIANT ICE BRAIN SCULPTURE SHINES A LIGHT ON THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF A STROKE
- A 2.5 metre brain carved entirely from ice has appeared on London’s Southbank to mark World Stroke Day
- The sculpture spotlights the launch of ‘Survival Is Not Enough’ - a new campaign from the Stroke Association
- Daisy Jones & the Six star, Josh Whitehouse is fronting the campaign after his father survived a stroke almost 20 years ago and now lives with aphasia, an experience that has given him a personal understanding of the fragility of the brain and the lasting impact a stroke can have
- Josh was joined by his fiancé Meagan Holder, Radio DJ Adele Roberts & her partner Kate Holderness
- The campaign highlights the devastating impact of stroke - a life-changing brain injury that can strike anyone, at any age
- The sculpture can be viewed by the public at London Southbank’s Observation Point on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th October
A giant brain carved entirely from ice has been unveiled on London’s Southbank today, creating a striking spectacle in the heart of the capital as part of a campaign to spotlight the fragility of the brain and the life-changing impact a stroke can have on people of all ages.
Created by the Stroke Association, the installation marks World Stroke Day and launches the charity’s new campaign ‘Survival Is Not Enough’.
Standing at 2.5 metres tall, the sculpture, which took 150 hours across five days to create, has been designed to represent both the complexity and fragility of the human brain.
It was unveiled by actor and producer Josh Whitehouse, whose father, John, survived a stroke roughly 20 years ago. Since then, he has lived with aphasia, a condition that affects a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language.
Having experienced first-hand the devastating and often unexpected impact a stroke can have, Josh is lending his voice to the campaign to raise awareness that stroke is a devastating brain injury, which leaves behind life-changing challenges.
Also in attendance were Radio DJ, Adele Roberts and her partner Kate Holderness whose mum survived a stroke earlier this year.
They were joined by five hero stroke survivors spanning generations, each with their own powerful story. From Tayshelice, who survived a stroke aged just eight to Jim, now in his 70s, the group also included Jordan, Jermaine, and Rutuja. Together they highlighted how stroke can strike anyone, at any age, with their own brain scans helping to inspire the shape of the ice installation.
In the UK, someone has a stroke every five minutes, with 1.4 million people currently living with a brain injury caused by stroke. More than 85,000 people survive a stroke every year, but recovery is only the beginning. Many face a long and gruelling journey adjusting to the trauma and rebuilding their lives, often left without the essential long-term rehabilitation and support they need.
Yet despite the life-changing impact of stroke, awareness of its severity and the long-term challenges survivors face remains worryingly low among Brits.
Despite one in four strokes happening to people of working age, a third of Brits aged 18-34 (34%) and almost a quarter of 35-44 year olds (24%) believe they’re too young to have one.
The knowledge gap extends to the impact of stroke, with almost a third (32%) unaware that it is a brain injury and nearly one in five (19%) not realising it can cause long-term difficulties with walking, talking, seeing or swallowing. Almost a quarter (22%) underestimate the road to recovery believing it takes just a few months or less.
Josh Whitehouse said: “My dad had a severe stroke almost 20 years ago, and it changed everything for our family. He survived, but he’s lived with aphasia ever since, and watching someone you love have to fight for their words every single day really stays with you. Seeing the sculpture today I couldn’t stop thinking about how fragile the things we take for granted really are.
“ ‘Survival Is Not Enough’ means so much, because surviving a stroke is only the start, and for so many families the hardest part comes afterwards. Nobody should have to go through that recovery alone.”
The ice brain sculpture will be in place at Southbank’s Observation Point on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th October, with members of the public encouraged to stop, view the installation up close and find out more about the impact of stroke through the stroke survivors’ stories.
Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “A stroke is a devastating brain injury, leaving behind life-changing trauma. In an instant, a stroke can steal away the things that many of us take for granted, such as walking, talking, eating and living independently; the things that make you, you. This new research shows that people still don’t understand a stroke happens in the brain and wrongly believe a stroke only affects older people.
"We’ve created this ice sculpture as a stark reminder of how fragile the brain can be. A stroke isn't only a medical emergency from which you either die or survive, but instead the start of a long and gruelling journey to rebuilding a life. For so many stroke survivors, the fight doesn’t end when their lives are saved, yet every day survivors and their families are left traumatised and without the long-term rehabilitation and support they need. After everything a stroke takes, no-one should have to fight for essential support to recover and live a full life again.”
The installation forms part of the Stroke Association’s wider campaign ‘Survival is Not Enough’ to drive awareness of the impact of stroke and support a two-part documentary series commissioned by Channel 4, in partnership with the charity: ‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’. The series follows three young adults, Dan, Saskia and Dec, through the fight of their lives after a life-threatening stroke.
‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’ will be available to stream from Monday 26th October at 10pm on Channel 4.
1.4 million people are living with a brain injury caused by stroke. Help the Stroke Association change what comes next: www.stroke.org.uk/brain
Topics
Regions
- Over 85,000 people survive a stroke every year in the UK, but surviving a stroke is just the start of a long and gruelling recovery journey.
- Mums, dads, grandparents, young people, even children – anyone can have a stroke, and its impact is traumatic.
- Brain injury, caused by a stroke, can leave survivors unable to move, see, speak or even swallow.
- The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK providing life-long support for all stroke survivors and their families. We provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year, fund vital scientific research, and campaign to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.
- Anyone affected by stroke can visit stroke.org.uk or call our dedicated Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100 for information, guidance or a chat when times are tough.
About the Stroke Association
