Stroke at 27 - now teacher is giving something back

Kayleigh Trainor, assistant headteacher at Forest Hall School in Stansted, had the potentially life-changing experience five years ago, but never discovered the cause.

She said: “Feeling out of sorts, I looked in the mirror and noticed there was a drop in my face. Work colleagues looked concerned when they saw me that morning, but I brushed it off as ‘nothing serious’, thinking it was maybe an allergic reaction.

“Searching for antihistamine at the chemist, the pharmacist told me I needed to get to A&E. Still believing it was an overreaction, I apologised for wasting everyone’s time.

“I was rushed through, with doctors monitoring me and tests carried out. I was told I had had a stroke.

"Surely at 27 this wasn’t possible? I’d only paid for an hour's parking thinking I was going back to work."

Fortunately she made a full recovery, and is now completing the Stride for Stroke challenge to mark the fifth anniversary of her stroke.

Over 120 days, she is walking a total of 1.2 million steps – 10,000 steps per day - to raise money to support the 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK.

Kayleigh added: “Many charities are struggling to raise funds due to the pandemic, which is why I wanted to sign up for the challenge. Many people rely on the work of charities to support with their recovery, so I thought I would be able to raise some money as every little helps. Also, I did not want to get caught up in the winter slump of not being active.

“I do look back in disbelief that I was so young when this happened and probably a bit more shocked at how casual I was about it, still trying to go to work.

“I do feel incredibly lucky that I have made a full recovery and had no long-term impacts. It just makes you realise there is no set age for having a stroke; it can happen to anyone at any time.”

So far, she has raised £1,063 for the Stroke Association. Support her by donating at https://bit.ly/2OfDndC