Staffordshire stroke survivor urging more awareness of symptoms
The 37-year-old fell into a coma after her stroke in 2022
A stroke survivor from Staffordshire says to protect more lives signs and symptoms need to be common knowledge among all ages.
Approximately 100,000 people suffer a stroke or mini stroke in the UK every year and of those one in four are younger people – and Melissa says they are underrepresented as more could be done to make younger people aware of the signs and that it can happen to anyone, whatever age.
37-year-old Charlotte Coulbert from Uttoxeter spent 10 days in a coma after she had a stroke after giving birth by planned caesarean section in June 2022. Due to her stroke, she didn’t see her new daughter for the first few weeks after she was born.
"I collapsed. Couldn't breathe. I kept going in and out of consciousness. When I woke up at the hospital, I'd been in a coma for 10 days."
On arrival at hospital, Charlotte went into cardiac arrest due to blood clots in her lungs while she also had a stroke. It was then she was put into an induced coma in a desperate attempt to stop the internal bleeding she was also suffering from."
Charlotte explains, “I can close my eyes and hear the voices shouting ‘breathe, Charlotte. Breathe!’ – it’s a terrifying memory. From that moment, I lost consciousness, and I don’t remember anything until ten days later when I woke up from the coma. When I woke up, I was so confused, terrified and felt alone.
“I also remember the first time I saw my daughter after my stroke. She was five weeks old, and I had missed almost two weeks of her little life – which felt like an eternity at that age. I was lying in my bed on the critical care unit – tubes in my nose, beeping machines surrounding me – and there was my little, tiny baby being handed to me. It was a miracle I was alive after what I’d been through, and it was a miracle I was holding my baby again.
"If you can get to the hospital straight away you're more likely to recover better. It can happen to anyone, at any time.
"You get lots of awareness for cancer and stuff, but with strokes you don't really hear about it." said Charlotte.
Life after a stroke
Charlotte’s stroke left her with right sided paralysis and communication difficulty called aphasia and she had to spend three months in hospital.
She was a Sales Representative before her stroke, but is yet to return to work.
Charlotte said, “Recovery is gruelling. The road is long. When I woke up in hospital my right side was severely affected, I had difficulty swallowing and was fed using a tube, and my speech was really challenging. I couldn’t recognise who I was anymore.
“In January 2023 I opened an Instagram account to share tips and advice on stroke recovery, and to talk to others. It has been a huge source of comfort and reassurance, and also a happy place to see my progress. I believe that speaking to others in a similar situation is really helpful.”
Charlotte now wants to continue connecting with others in a similar situation and educate the public on stroke too.
Charlotte added “I would like to help people understand that stroke is for life but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of your life. Every day is different, you will have good days and bad ones. There will be ups and downs. But reaching out to others can help.”
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