Stroke survivors run to support Stroke Foundation

Six men and women who have experienced a stroke, will be taking part in the Ports of Auckland Round the Bays fun run, to raise funds to support the Stroke Foundation’s critical services.

All donations made will go towards helping those affected by stroke, supporting the Stroke Foundation’s Community Stroke Advisor (CSA) service. CSAs work with stroke survivor’s their whānau and carers to achieve the best possible outcomes after a stroke.

Amongst those participating in the race is Sreeram Sridhar, 33, from West Harbour. On 19 July last year, Sreeram was going about his morning routine when he suddenly lost feeling in his right side. He was taken to hospital and discovered that his stroke had affected his vision and mobility. It took several days before Sreeram was able to walk again and a number of months before he could return to work. Sreeram told us: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support I’ve had since having my stroke. Now I want to give back to others that have been affected by stroke too. I hope I can help make a difference and raise awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone.”

Joseph Docherty, 55 from Parakai, had a stroke in June 2018. After coming home from work feeling unwell, his wife noticed the signs of a stroke and got him immediate care. Joseph received thrombolysis which saved him from having a lifelong disability. Joseph told us: “I was one of the lucky ones and am incredibly grateful for the help and support that I’ve had from friends and family. I wanted to take part in this event because I see others who have been affected by stroke and those who are struggling; I want to help them in any way that I can.”

Rebecca Collingwood, 32 from St Heliers, had a stroke in December 2018. At the time, Rebecca wasn’t aware that a stroke could affect someone so young and delayed going to the hospital. Doing shift work, Rebecca assumed this was why she felt tired and didn’t consider that her symptoms could have been a sign of stroke. Rebecca told us: “I felt trapped in my body. Everything I was doing was clumsy and I just couldn’t shake the tiredness, I couldn’t understand what was happening. A stroke is one of those things that people assume will only happen to those who are older, but it can happen to anyone. Now, I tell people if you don’t feel yourself, call 111 and get checked. I hope that by taking part in the race I can raise awareness of stroke and the importance of acting fast.”

Robbie Ross, Fundraising Manager at the Stroke Foundation said: “This is the first year that we have participated in the Ports of Auckland Round the Bays and we’re thrilled to have so many stroke survivors join our team.

“We know the many challenges that stroke survivors face during recovery, so to have several join us and set themselves an ambitious goal is inspiring to see. We’re very proud and thankful that so many want to give back and help more people who have and may be, in similar situations.”

Along with the stroke survivors, over 200 people have selected the Stroke Foundation as their charity to run for and 36 people are currently fundraising. The team are over a third of the way to their $15,000 target.

Approximately 9,000 New Zealanders have a stroke each year – that’s one every hour. Your support can change a stroke survivor’s life.