Ellis Dawson, 31, from Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, shares her story of overcoming two strokes and raising awareness about stroke's impact on young people.
2023 is a year Ellis Dawson will never forget. Not for reasons like working hard in her career, travelling, leading a busy and full life, but because it is the year she battled through two strokes- at just 31 years old. While her life changed completely, thanks to her determination and hard work, Ellis has recovered well and wants to use what happened to her for something positive. Ellis, from Newtownabbey, had her first stroke in September 2023.
At the time, she worked as cabin crew and had a TIA (transient ischaemic attack), or mini stroke as it’s often referred to, whilst on a flight to Corfu. She recalled: “It was terrifying to have that happen whilst up in the air. My face had drooped and when I spoke to colleagues it was decided the plane should be diverted to Manchester. I was taken to A&E and had CT scans and blood test, but the doctors couldn’t determine what had happened. I was sent home and told to get a second opinion back in Belfast but not to go to work or drive. “Back home I was referred for an MRI scan and it was after that the doctor confirmed I had had a TIA, which was the biggest shock of my life. I didn’t think anything like that could happen because of my age. I was just 31, and I was fit, active, at the gym all the time, walking the dog every day. I couldn’t believe it.” “That is the main reason I am now sharing my story. Most people have the misconception that stroke is something that mainly affects older people, but it can happen to anyone, at any age and I want people to be aware of that. I had also previously thought strokes happen to people who are overweight, smoke, and lead unhealthy lifestyles, which I now know is wrong. That's why I want to share my story, to get that message out, and to beat that stigma around stroke.” Ellis was prescribed blood thinners, and it was discovered she had a PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale), a hole in her heart, which was the cause of her stroke as explains: “I had never heard of a PFO. The doctors explained I would need surgery to close the hole in my heart and I was put on the waiting list for that. I was advised that if I felt ok, I could go back to work, which I did after a few weeks. “Three months later I went to Iceland and two days into that holiday I had a severe stroke. I woke up with complete paralysis of the left-hand side and difficulty with my speech. It was terrifying and being abroad made it even more so. “I was rushed to hospital for a thrombectomy, which is a procedure to remove blood clots and help restore blood flow to the brain and other organs. The not knowing how things would turn out was so frightening, especially as the whole left-hand side of my body was paralysed. I was told my mobility might only come back to about 80%, and the best-case scenario was 90%. To hear that was just unbelievable.” “I had my stroke on a Thursday, and I was able to fly home on the Sunday night. The doctors let me come home because I was able to ‘walk’ in some fashion, but I was very unsteady on my feet, and it took all the strength I had. I just wanted to get back home.” Once home, Ellis was keen to continue her recovery journey and avail of statutory rehabilitation services but unfortunately that did not happen, as she explains: “When I got home, I contacted the health service and was told I would need an appointment to speak to my stroke consultant who I had been under the care of after my TIA. There must have been some sort of miscommunication however as I never got an appointment and therefore never got any physiotherapy or rehab. When I eventually saw my consultant, he didn’t know I’d had a stroke! “By that stage I had done my own physio based on the exercises the staff did with me when I was in hospital in Iceland and YouTube videos. I had worked hard on regaining my strength and fine motor skills and felt like I was back to my old self physically by that time, but it was hard. “It would be scary enough navigating recovery after a stroke when you are under the care of a hospital team but being left to navigate that by yourself and wondering ‘am I doing the right things?’, knowing how to do enough but not too much, was a very difficult experience. I am so lucky however and I know I represent the best-case scenario of a recovery after stroke.” It was not just the physical impacts of the stroke Ellis says she had to deal with, however: “The impact of the stroke on my mental health was massive. Especially since I’d had the TIA but was told if I felt ok, I could go back to normal whilst waiting for the PFO closure surgery. I never thought I would end up having another stroke, and a major one at that, and the way it happened, abroad, completely alone, it was just awful. I was so scared, and the fear never really went away. There are still times when I worry about it happening again. I think a lot of people don’t realize the lasting mental health effects a stroke can have.
STROKES YOUNG PEOPLE HEALTH RECOVERY NORTHERN IRELAND MENTAL HEALTH Tias
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