AN Enniskillen mother who suffered a stroke at 32-years of age while she was 36 weeks pregnant is now supporting others going through the same experience.
Ciara Murray, from Enniskillen, said the stoke occurred at around 11.30am on October 29 2015. At the time, Ciara, who was home alone at the time, didn’t realise she’d just had a stroke.
“My husband John didn’t get home from work until that evening, and I was lying for seven hours, that is when the damage was done,” she said.
Ciara was rushed to ICU at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where she spent 10 days unconscious, also suffering from blood clots in her brain.
“I woke up on November 10, which happened to be John’s birthday,” she recalled.
Her baby son, James, was delivered by the medical team at the hospital the day after and the young mother said the little bundle of joy had since helped spur on her recovery.
When she woke up after 10 days the nurse told her she had a baby boy. So she rang her husband John and told him to bring the baby to her.
After many months of recovery, Ciara was able to go home and begin life as a family of three.
“It was only the start of my recovery but James pushed me on, I had to do it for him. He helped my recovery and still to this day, he is like my wee carer. He doesn’t let me do things now, he says ‘I’ll do it mummy’ so he is a great help and very caring towards me,” Ciara said.
Ciara has always stayed determined throughout her recovery and besides questioning if she would ever get her life back she continued to have a positive mindset.
“We kept the fight up, you need to have the fight all the time. There is two options in life and I wasn’t going to sit there and feel sorry for myself in the corner,” she said.
“I couldn’t lie down because of James, so I kept fighting, determination got me to where I am today.”
Ciara’s stroke happened 10 years ago in October and she is now helping others who have been in similar situations through the ‘Stroke Warriors’ group.
“It is a very sad journey and no family will understand until they stand in these shoes, so at least on a Tuesday when we meet everybody in the room knows what they are going through,” she said.
“We meet every Tuesday from 11-1 in the Cathedral Hall in Enniskillen. We do different activities designed to enhance and promote positive wellbeing, its a great space for people to connect and make friends, for any other information email info@strokewarriors.co.uk
The group has a community hub in Enniskillen which sells second hand goods.
Ciara also offered some advice for anyone who is in the early stages of stroke recovery.
“Never give up hope, you will get your life back, you need to fight, be positive, and work hard.”
To read more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald. Can’t get to the shop to collect your copy? No problem! You can download a copy straight to your device by following this link… Subscribe to current edition
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere