There’s a misconception that stroke only affects the elderly, but one in four happen to those of working age (16-64 years old). Support can be hard to find for a younger stroke survivor, but one charity is trying to change that.
We had a chat with Austin Willett, CEO of Different Strokes, about the work the charity does, and the support they offer.
When was Different Strokes set up and why?
We were established in 1996. Donal O’Kelly, a solicitor in his 40s, had a stroke, and after being released from hospital looked to see what support was available for younger stroke survivors. He didn’t find any, so set up the charity.
Who are Different Strokes and what services do you provide?
We provide support to working age and younger stroke survivors, and their families. We tend to support those aged 16-64 years old, although we don’t put age limits on support.
Our support includes:
- A network of local groups, where survivors exercise together and go to social events to support one another
- An online support group with over 6,000 members
- A phone line to provide practical help, emotional support and relevant signposting from stroke survivors
- Information packs
- Online exercise sessions
- A befriending service, where five young stroke survivors provide 1:1 befriending on a regular basis to stroke survivors aged 16-25
- Children’s resource packs, in age-appropriate language, to help children of stroke survivors better understand what has happened to their mum or dad
- Online networking sessions for stroke survivors to discuss whatever’s on their mind.
What is your mission at Different Strokes?
Our mission is to champion peer support as a means of active recovery from stroke.
A lot of what we do is based around peer support. It’s so important that younger people who’ve had a stroke can engage with a community of younger stroke survivors. It allows them to to share their issues and concerns with each other, celebrate successes and reach important milestones together.
Our ethos is one of ‘survivors supporting survivors’.
We’re also determined to raise the profile of younger stroke amongst both the general public and healthcare professionals. There are many myths that surround stroke, but the most common is that it only happens to elderly people.
One in four strokes happen to people of working age. A survey we conducted in 2019 found that 84% of people think that one in 50 strokes (or less) happen to people of working age. We’ve also heard many stories of people being told after their stroke “you can’t be having a stroke, you’re too young”.
We’re determined to banish the myth that stroke only affects the elderly, and make sure stroke survivors of all ages get the real support they need.
What has changed for Different Strokes in recent years, and what have you found to be the challenges?
The pandemic was a real game-changer for everyone in the charity sector. We had to close our local groups, and a lot of our work moved online, including:
- Daily exercise sessions
- Networking events
- Guest speaker talks
- Our 2020 and 2021 conferences.
Luckily, we already had a good online presence, so this was less of an issue for our charity than it may have been for other organisations.
The first two months of the pandemic were horrendous as we adjusted to new ways of working, and furloughed a number of staff. We had to quickly come up with innovate ways to raise funds to replace income lost when we cancelled fundraising events.
But our beneficiaries are very resilient and supportive, and as a result we’ve come through the last 18 months in a relatively healthy position.
What do some of your beneficiaries say about how Different Strokes has helped them in their recovery journey?
Our beneficiaries often say that speaking to those who’ve also had a stroke has helped them significantly. Here are some of our favourite quotes:
“Thanks so much for the chat yesterday. It was so good to hear from someone in a similar situation who knew how I felt and understood, and was able with one phone call to give me so much info and people to contact. This has made me feel more positive about the future.”
“Different Strokes has helped my recovery because it’s good to talk and great to relate. I think it’s knowing that someone will understand the trials and tribulations of being a stroke survivor – and that there’s always someone who’ll ‘get it’."
“I’ve found this group the best place for support and information.”
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