In the early hours of Christmas Day 2022, Andy Shaw awoke to the life-threatening stroke that would leave him unable to move the left side of his body.
Now, he’s taking on a remarkable challenge: walking 3km to raise money for the stroke ward at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust through Stockport NHS Charity.
Before his stroke, Andy was healthy and active. He had served in the army and then worked as a police officer for 25 years. But on Christmas Eve, he developed a blinding headache.
“I went to bed and waited for Santa,” Andy says, “But then at 2am, I woke up to go to the toilet and collapsed.”
In the midst of falling, Andy pulled the duvet off his bed, luckily waking his wife, Bernadette, who called an ambulance. Andy was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove the blood clot in his brain that was responsible for the stroke.
However, the surgery did not go to plan. Doctors informed Bernadette that the clot was too big to remove. They would have to do another operation to remove part of Andy’s skull and release pressure on his brain, but Andy was likely to be left severely disabled.
A few weeks later, Andy was moved to Stepping Hill Hospital, run by Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, to continue his recovery on the E1 stroke ward.
“Everybody was dead nice. The volunteers were brilliant, and every single member of staff took the time to get to know me. I think I was the nurses’ favourite,” Andy jokes.
“They were brilliant with family too,” says Bernadette, “It was a stressful time, but the staff made it so much easier. They let us order pizzas on a Friday, and we spent lots of time sat out in the ward garden on nice days.”
Andy spent four months on the stroke ward. When he first arrived, he was still very unwell. He could barely talk, was missing half his skull, and certainly couldn’t walk. But thanks to a combination of expert clinical care and rehabilitation, support from family and friends, and his own determination, Andy has made a recovery that was never thought possible after the initial prognosis after his first surgery.
“When you have a stroke, it’s like your life stops. But coming onto the ward, it’s like it started again,” Andy says.
Andy has a good quality of life now, he and Bernadette agree. He can get himself up and get dressed, communicate with his wife and family, and gets to spend plenty of time with his grandchildren.
Three years after he was discharged, Andy feels ready to take on a new challenge.
“The ward staff were so good to me, I just wanted to do something to give something back,” he says, “I worked in the public sector for nearly 30 years. It’s easy to criticise, but it’s important to talk about people like me who’ve had good experiences.”
Working with his walking group and a personal trainer who specialises in stroke survivors, Andy has been training to walk 3km to raise money for Stockport NHS Charity, which will go towards improving facilities for future patients on the stroke ward.
“Walking outside without a stick, it’s very scary, very wobbly. But my trainer always said he’d get me walking again. And the stroke ward gave me the tools to do it.”
“It’s hard to see the improvements because they’re so gradual,” says Bernadette, “But even now from this time six months ago, the difference is amazing. We’re 3 years on and still seeing massive improvements.”
Andy has already hit £1,500 in donations, smashing his initial goal of raising £500.
Kate Leadbeater, Stockport NHS Charity Manager, says “We’re incredibly grateful that Andy has decided to commit to this challenge for our charity. It’s a testament to the hard work of our incredible staff, who make a difference to patients like Andy every single day. He’s doing an amazing job with his training, and we’ll be rooting for him all the way to the end!”
Around 15 family members and friends are expected to join Andy on the walk, as well as members of staff who looked after him on the stroke ward.
“I want people to know that I’m working hard and I’m going to do it,” Andy says, “I’m nervous, I’ll be tired, and I don’t know how long it will take me, but I’m confident I can do it.”
To support Andy’s fundraising challenge visit: www.justgiving.com/page/andyshaw.
You can follow Andy’s journey on his Facebook page: Shawsy’s stroke strides