“The first time I walked unaided after the stroke felt like a miracle. I genuinely thought I’d never walk again.”
You could hardly imagine anything more terrifying. One moment, Greg was in the shower thinking about The Marriage of Figaro – an opera by Mozart he was about to conduct. The next, he was staggering to the bed, slurring his speech and unable to move half his body.
Just 12 minutes later, the RMH Mobile Stroke Unit arrived. This fully equipped, custom-built stroke ambulance provides rapid diagnosis and treatment for people like Greg, right on their doorstep. This is the first Mobile Stroke Unit of its kind and an Australian first.
The fast response minimised the amount of irreversible brain damage. Without it, Greg says he would have been much worse.
This was just the start of a long and arduous recovery that would span several months at the RMH and many different specialists.
Greg spent the next two months in our state-of-the-art Acute Stroke Ward – a cutting-edge space designed to give patients the very best care.
Still, the list of things Greg couldn’t do seemed daunting. He couldn’t stand or walk, move the left side of his body, sit up without falling over due to severe vertigo, speak or sing because one vocal cord was paralysed. He couldn’t even swallow, which meant a nasogastric tube was used to feed him.
For Greg, allied health was the key to success. Speech pathologists patiently trained Greg to swallow again while an exercise physiologist rebuilt Greg’s strength, endurance and balance plus a team of physiotherapists taught Greg how to walk again – a feat he initially thought would be impossible.
Each service is geared toward meeting the unique needs of stroke survivors at every stage of their journey, and giving them the best possible outcome. This care helped Greg to swallow, speak and walk again.
But we need your help to keep this going.
It’s been a year since Greg’s stroke. He still battles dizziness, giddiness, stiffness, pins and needles in his hand and the inability to feel both hot and cold down one side of his body. But he no longer needs a wheelchair and can walk unaided, albeit a little wobbly.
Please will you help our team go above and beyond for critically ill patients this holiday season by giving generously today? With your support, we can help patients like Greg have the best chances of survival.
