A man who suffered a stroke at just 36 has thanked the doctors and nurses who helped him on the road to recovery.Jason Clifton went to bed with a severe headache in June last year and woke up unable to move the left side of his body.
He suffered a haemorrhagic stroke, which is caused when a blood vessel bursts in the brain, and spent seven weeks in hospital.
But after months of determination and hard work, Jason, who has recently turned 38, is now able to walk and drive again.
Jason, who has recently turned 38, was treated and supported by staff from West Raynham Ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, and has raised £2,745 to help future patients.
The Denver man said: “Being able to move my left arm and leg feels like a miracle to me.
“To have some form of a normal life again and being back in control means the world to me.
“I wanted to say thank you to the hospital and especially West Raynham. I wanted to buy some equipment which would make the lives of the staff easier.”
Jason, who worked as a bank manager, suffered a severe headache on June 1 last year and believes he passed out. But when Jason came to, he was unable to move his left side.
Thankfully, Jason’s mobile phone was in reach and he was able to call his brother, who helped paramedics to get into the locked house.
He was quickly taken for a CT scan and was then diagnosed with a haemorrhagic stroke.
Jason was later transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for a specialist brain scan but returned to King’s Lynn 10 days later.
He spent five weeks in hospital undergoing rehabilitation work, including learning how to walk again.
Jason said: “When you are able-bodied you don’t realise how difficult it is to lose something you have always taken for granted. I had to learn to walk again and work on my balance. The physiotherapists would be moving my left leg while I tried to walk. We had to work on so many different exercises.
“But while I was in West Raynham a miracle happened, I regained feeling back in my left arm.”
Jason had a goal to be discharged before his birthday in July, which he achieved and was released home with a care package to help with his rehabilitation.
After months of work in the gym and swimming pool with a physiotherapist, Jason is able to walk again and at the end of last year, he was cleared to drive again.
Jason said: “It was great to have my independence back again.
“I feel a very lucky person to have been treated on West Raynham as they were fantastic.”
Jason teamed up with the Friends of the Stroke Unit to raise money by organising a quiz night with raffle at the Castle Hotel. Jason raised £1,745 which was then topped up with £1,000 by his employers Lloyds Bank.
The money will be used to buy important equipment to help future patients on the ward.
Around 110,000 people each year in England suffer a stroke. For more information go to http://www.nhs.uk
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Pictured: Vice chairman of the Friends of the Stroke Unit Margaret Duhig receives the cheque from Jason Clifton. Looking on, back from left, are: Occupational Therapist Suzy Butler, Secretary Mike Ennis, Treasurer Patrick Duhig, Occuptational Therapist Hilary Palmer and Ann Lankester
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