Portsmouth stroke survivor says ongoing support is essential to recovery

A rare disease that a Portsmouth man had just before his fifth birthday is thought to have led to a stroke almost two decades later when he was 23.

Chris Headon, now 39, is determined not to let his health hold him back. This is despite having a second, and far more severe, stroke which left him with cognitive and communication difficulties which prevent him from living independently, working or driving.   

He’s sharing his story now to raise awareness on World Stroke Day, Wednesday 29 October, and backing calls from the Stroke Association for more stroke survivors across the UK to receive the ongoing support which helped him. 

Chris and his parents Ian and Jackie, praised the community services including the Stroke Association’s Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Stroke Recovery Service, the NHS Community Neuropsychology service and Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire for their invaluable joined-up support.  

They believe Chris’s first stroke in 2009 was caused by long-term hidden damage from the rare blood condition, Kawasaki disease, which he had as a child. 

Nearly a decade later, Chris, who was an airport taxi chauffeur and enjoyed keeping fit, going to music gigs and supporting Portsmouth Football Club, had the first stroke.   

He recovered but it heightened the anxiety issues he had suffered from since childhood.

Then in summer 2023, during an extremely stressful period at work, his mental health severely declined. He stopped taking his blood-thinning medication for three months, without his parents knowing, and had his second stroke.

Chris said: “One morning in June, I was at my girlfriend Stacey’s house getting ready for work when I collapsed and fell through her coffee table - I can still hear that sound to this day!     

“I was in denial about having a second stroke but thankfully Stacey called an ambulance immediately.”

Paramedics took Chris to Queen Alexandra Hospital (QAH), then transferred to Southampton General Hospital where he had a thrombectomy which removed the clot and restored blood flow to the brain.   

Chris said: “I owe my life to Stacey. She saved my life twice that day. Firstly, by calling the ambulance and secondly by acting as my next-of-kin which enabled me to have the procedure. I’m so proud of her.”  

After his second stroke, Chris faced significant physical and cognitive challenges.  

Chris said: “My left foot dragged when I walked, my voice was quiet and my speech was slow. It was frustrating to constantly repeat myself.  

“I remember my brothers breaking me out of hospital one day to go and watch Pompey’s first game of the season because they knew it would lift my mood. But I couldn’t read the game at all, I couldn’t even see the ball. It was like my brain couldn’t keep up.”  

Chris spent time in a rehabilitation centre at the QAH before being discharged to live with his parents. The effects of the stroke mean Chris takes longer to process spoken information and often finds it hard to plan or get started on tasks, and these challenges affected not only him but also those around him.

Community services played a key role in Chris’s recovery. He received six weeks of therapy at home from the Community Stroke Rehab Team (CSRT) who referred him on for more physiotherapy at the neurogym. This is where physiotherapists showed him how to do strengthening exercises and improve his gait so he could walk properly again.”   

CSRT also made a referral to the Stroke Association’s Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Stroke Recovery Service which offers the opportunity to rebuild confidence and independence and help people live well after stroke.     

Chris said: “Debby at the Stroke Association has been amazing. As I was unable to return to work, she supported me claiming the financial benefits that I was entitled to, which took a huge weight off my shoulders.  

“Debby referred me to the Stroke Association’s weekly volunteer calls. I was paired up with another stroke survivor from the other end of the country, and we had weekly hour-long phone calls for six weeks. It was brilliant talking to someone who I had so much in common with and who was the same age as me.  

“She also signposted me to another local charity called Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire. Now I go to their weekly Social Inclusion sessions and get to chat with other young people like me. It helps me to feel like it’s not just me going through this.”  

Jackie said: “Debby has also worked with the Neuropsychologist, Tracy, to help us understand the mental and cognitive effects of stroke. We have found a way to explain it – it’s like Chris has an alter ego and we call him Trevor. Trevor doesn’t listen to us; he comes across as obstinate and lethargic!  

“Now we know that this is caused by the stroke and not Chris’s fault. Chris’s brain damage, combined with the anxiety he now has, changed the way he thinks. So he stays in the same place and is unable to progress without support.”  

Jackie, Ian, and Stacey continue to help Chris with everyday activities. Despite ongoing challenges, Chris and his family feel positive about the future.   

Chris said: “Doing the things I enjoyed again, like watching Pompey with my brothers, was great. Watching Pompey is always like riding a rollercoaster, but when I realised I could actually follow the game play, it felt like an accomplishment.”  

This World Stroke Day, the Stroke Association is calling for the Government and the NHS to invest more in stroke care.

Jacqui Cuthbert, the Stroke Association’s associate director for the South East, said: “Many stroke survivors need long-term robust support to recover and live well.

“Stroke must be prioritised by the Government and the NHS. Only then will stroke patients get the treatment they need, whenever they need it, so the increasing number of UK stroke survivors can live mentally and physically well.”  

For more information about stroke and the support services for survivors and carers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, visit www.stroke.org.uk or call the Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100.