Survivor Stories

Portrait: Lisa J

I was visiting a location in March 2021 on a weekend in NY state when I stopped at my very best friend from middle schools' apartment on my way home from work to meet her first son and have dinner. After a couple of hours, I started to experience the worst headache of my life. I was getting sweaty, and my vision was blurring.

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Portrait: Alon

On December 3, 2008, I had a catastrophic massive stroke. It was a consequence of the dissection of the carotid artery. It took me a decade to communicate again.

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Portrait: Kayla

Two years ago, I was hit by a motorcycle when crossing the street in New York City. I sustained a brain bleed, concussion, and whiplash.

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Portrait: Ronah

My name is Ronah Ankunda, aged 26 years and I come from Uganda. On June 1st, 2022 around 1:00am a sudden agonizing headache woke me up.

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Portrait: Karen

On 10th June 2020, I woke up in hospital following a surgery to remove a grade 1, non-cancerous brain tumour

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Portrait: Ashish

This is a heart-wrenching story about Ashish Gupta, a normal 29 year old enthusiastic youth, living in Ranchi, a place in Jharkhand state of India. He did not know what he would go through in the near future and nobody had expected it.

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Portrait: Len

My name is Len. I have survived two major brain injuries that required surgery.  Add to this several concussions.  I will focus on the two injuries. 

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Portrait: Mahir

As a 6 years old, I was hit by a car while crossing the road. This forever changed my life. 34 years on, I am an English teacher, Arabic Interpreter & Translator and writer.

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Portrait: David C

Many years of keen cycling concluded with a serious accident and Traumatic Brain Injury, August 2018. Unprepared, I went from enjoying a responsible job, to months in hospital and years of recovery.  

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Portrait: Kenneth

I’m a congenital arterial-venous hemorrhage stroke survivor from a rupture in 2016. The rupture knocked me out in my own home leaving me untreated for 20 hours before being found and rushed to the hospital.

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Portrait: Chris

12 years ago, at the age of 43, I very unexpectedly suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke. I was fit and healthy at the time, my consultant even remarked that I was the last person he expected to have a stroke.

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Portrait: Peter

I had just retired at the age of 58. I was looking forward to restoring our quirky Georgian house, with plans for a B&B. I had dreamt of this as our retirement project. Then “bang” the explosion.

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Portrait: Ryley

Ryley had a stroke in January 2021, aged 9 years old, causing right sided weakness and speech difficulties.

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Portrait: David

I was 19 when I was t-boned in a little 1997 Mazda Miata by a full-size truck. At the hospital, I didn't understand what was going on.

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Portrait: Eva

In June 2019 I had a subarachnoid haemorrhage, due to a burst brain aneurysm. Optimism and determination were essential to my recovery.

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Portrait: Stacie

In January 2019 I had a frontal craniotomy to remove a cyst which may have been causing several grand mal seizures. Little did I know this would present a whole new set of challenges.

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Portrait: Axel

At the age of 11, Axel survived my subarachnoid hemorrhage. Life hasn’t been too bad. I’m grateful for what I’ve been able to do, despite my limits.

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Portrait: Alan

At the age of 42, I had a brain haemorrhage and aphasia, which is a communication disorder. After the operation I couldn’t speak for two years. My social network fell apart.

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Portrait: Andy

8th June 2020, I woke up and something didn't feel right. I couldn't seem to get comfortable on my right side. In fact, that whole side felt weird.

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Portrait: Anna

In October 2021, I was on the way back from a university rugby match when the vehicle I was travelling in was in a car accident. Everyone was unharmed but shortly after I had a massive headache. The next morning, I went to A&E with slurred speech, head pain and (unbeknownst at the time) a TIA.

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