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STROKE SURVIVOR LAUNCHES NEW CHARITY
A Stroke of Luck is a new charity founded by Stroke Survivor, Craig
Pankhurst. Here, we speak to Craig about how he has married
his past (fitness) and his present (Stroke Survivor) life to create
a charity that supports the recovery of Stroke Survivors using
physical rehabilitation. One of the key priority areas for Craig and
the charity is raising funds to achieve the charity’s immediate aims
of developing the platform to give Stroke Survivors access to the
physical rehabilitation support that so many of them desperately
need.
Tell us about yourself
I have recently turned 40 and I’m embracing my new life. I am
fortunate to be alive following the stroke I suffered on 28th April last
year and whilst the past 12-months have been challenging, they have
also been life-changing in a positive way. I was born in Oxford and
lived in Witney, which borders the Cotswolds until I flew the nest
and headed to University in Cardiff. My younger years were spent
in one of three places: school, a swimming pool, or a football field. I
loved school, but I loved sport even more. I was extremely fortunate to
become an international swimmer and these are days I look back on
very fondly. Sadly, being able to fit in my trunks is a distant memory
and I will never be able to brag about having a 26-inch waist and only
4.8% body fat again!
I am married to Kirsten and Dad to Reefe and Darcy and live in
Thurstaston. I have two dogs, Rowlf the Newfypoo, Dawson a Bulldog
(he has a face only a parent could love), and a cat called MoPo. Why
MoPo? Well, we are all Spurs fans and Mauricio Pochettino is the Spurs’
Manager and is nicknamed MoPo. Our daughters thought this would
be the perfect name for our cat.
What did you do prior to founding A Stroke of Luck?
Following completing a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences in 2003, I
spent time working in commercial roles moving to leadership positions
for some highly respected brands. The experience I gained led me to
establish a business with a couple of friends. Within 12-months of
trading, our business had won the exclusive contract with Liverpool
Football Club for delivery of their training programmes. I managed to
build strong relationships with my clients, so much so that Julie Harris
of Liverpool Football Club is one of the Trustees of A Stroke of Luck.
Let’s take you back to when you were having a Stroke. What was it
like?
It was in the act of blinking my eyes at 6am that I first realised I was
not in a good way. The overwhelming feeling of the room spinning
uncontrollably, yet in darkness as my vision had gone, resulted in a
feeling of dread and fear. Little did I realise that at the age of 39 I was in
mid-Ischemic Stroke and that life was about to change forever.
30 wirrallife.com
I suffered a stroke that Saturday morning whilst in bed. Panic set
in when I tried to stand up and my legs gave way. Something was
obviously not quite right! I made it to the bathroom, helped there
by my wife, where hours of constant vomiting ensued, sandwiched
between deep sleep and the room moving in all directions at high
speed.
I finally admitted to myself that this predicament wasn’t one where a
typically ‘blokish’ response would suffice and a trip to seek medical help
was required. I was duly admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital for CT and
MRI scans. With friends and family by my side, we awaited the doctor’s
diagnosis and after an interminable wait the verdict was delivered:
significant damage to the brain due to an Ischemic Stroke. In addition,
further scans have shown that I have a dissection of my vertebral artery
which requires the care of the specialists at the Walton Centre.
Wow, that sounds frightening. Have you been left with any effects of
the stroke?
In a word, yes! However, I am very lucky, and I know that. My biggest
issue is post-stroke fatigue. Anyone who has suffered a stroke and has
this as an effect will understand how debilitating it is. It is a dreadful
experience that a sufferer has to live with every day. It is not like being
tired. I spent years of my life in a tired state having been a swimmer.
Having my coach give me a set of 10 x 200m Butterfly is a doddle
compared to the fatigue I live with now.
I have learnt to manage my fatigue via a traffic light system: Red,
Amber, and Green. When I’m in my ’Green Zone’ I’m able to function
pretty much as I could pre-stroke, albeit with a slight left-side weakness
and concentration deficit. When in my ‘Amber Zone’, my speech
and thought processes slow down and my left side weakness is more
pronounced. In ‘Red Zone’, I become very limited in my movement and
struggle to communicate effectively. This is a scary zone to be in for me,
but much more for my daughters. I limit the times I am in this zone
and I am able to do it by managing my activities as Red, Amber, and
Green activities to ensure I maintain the best energy levels I can.
Why start a charity when you are recovering from a stroke?
I have always been a very motivated individual who thrives on setting
goals. I firmly believe it is these traits which continue to support me
in my recovery. Under the care of the Walton Centre in Liverpool, I
continue to manage my rehabilitation to ensure I am best placed to live
a positive and full life. And it is for exactly these reasons I wanted to
start a charity to inspire fellow Stroke Survivors to embrace their new
life in a similar, positive way. Meeting other Stroke Survivors, I realised
that self-image and self-esteem are significantly affected by a physical
change and after the initial rehabilitation phase patients are signed
off to continue their recovery on their own, exacerbating this loss of
confidence. What has really helped me has been to find a personal