In 2017 , aged 31 I had 3 strokes and was diagnosed with Moyamoya Disease . I lost my vision , some function of my left arm / hand and struggled with post stroke fatigue .
I had to quit my job , move to a new area and my life as i knew it completely changed . I started to feel useless and constantly reminded of all the things I could no longer do . Depression and anxiety started to take a hold .
I asked my Stroke specialist if she knew about any research projects I could take part in and she was so encouraging to me as she herself was conducting a research project . This opened many other doors for me and I ' ve been involved in lots of different projects to do with Stroke , vision and mental health .
Now I feel like I ' ve contributed something useful , my voice matters and I ' m helping to make a difference . It makes me feel like a valued member of society again .
Kirsty Kelly Research User Group member
Keele