WEST WALES STROKE SURVIVOR SUPPORTS CHARITY TO HIGHLIGHT ‘SURVIVAL IS NOT ENOUGH

A stroke survivor from Lampeter in West Wales is sharing their story ahead of World Stroke Day, as part of a national campaign to spotlight the fragility of the brain and the life-changing impact a stroke can have on people of all ages.

Mererid Olivia Rees, known as Mez is raising awareness of stroke as part of the Stroke Association’s ‘Survival Is Not Enough’ campaign.

Mez was living in Dubai and working as a dancer, street performer and costume character performer when she had a stroke on the 16th November 2021. She was young, fit and had experienced no warning signs, so stroke was not suspected when she suddenly collapsed at work. “I was a dancer and a performer,” she says. “So nobody thought it was a stroke.”

Doctors discovered that Mez’s stroke was caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain. She spent around a month in hospital in Dubai before returning to Wales, where she faced a long recovery. “The stroke left me with right side weakness, no feeling in my right side, drop foot and fatigue alongside others and my vision changed post radiotherapy too.”

Although Mez often looks well, the effects of stroke continue to shape everyday life. “People look at me and think I’m okay,” she says. “They assume everything is fine.” With support from her family and rehabilitation, she has gradually rebuilt her strength and confidence, moved into her own flat and returned to work as a social media manager.

Now Mez is planning an event to raise awareness of stroke in young people. She hopes her experience will challenge the idea that stroke only affects older people and help others understand that recovery can continue long after hospital discharge. “I’m still me,” she says. “Stroke changed my life, but it hasn’t taken away who I am.”

In the UK, someone has a stroke every five minutes, with 1.4 million people currently living with a brain injury caused by stroke. More than 85,000 people survive a stroke every year, but recovery is only the beginning. Many face a long and gruelling journey adjusting to the trauma and rebuilding their lives, often left without the essential long-term rehabilitation and support they need.

Despite the life-changing impact of stroke, awareness of its severity and the long-term challenges survivors face remains worryingly low amongst the general public.

Although one in four strokes happen to people of working age, nearly a third (28%) of Brits surveyed by the Stroke Association believe they mainly affect people over-65s. While a third of those aged 18-34 (34%) and almost a quarter of 35-44 year olds (24%) believe they’re too young to have one.

The knowledge gap extends to the impact of stroke, with almost a third (32%) unaware that it is a brain injury and nearly one in five (19%) not realising it can cause long-term difficulties with walking, talking, seeing or swallowing. Almost a quarter (22%) underestimate the road to recovery believing it takes just a few months of less.

The Stroke Association’s campaign ‘Survival is Not Enough’ aims to drive awareness of the impact of stroke and support a two-part documentary series commissioned by Channel 4, in partnership with the charity: ‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’. The series follows three young adults, Dan, Saskia and Dec, through the fight of their lives after a life-threatening stroke. ‘Trauma: My Broken Brain’ will be available to stream from Monday 26^thOctober at 10pm on Channel 4.

Katie Chappelle, Associate Director for Wales at the Stroke Association, said: “A stroke is a devastating brain injury, leaving behind life-changing trauma. In an instant, a stroke can steal away the things that many of us take for granted, such as walking, talking, eating and living independently; the things that make you, you. This new research shows that people still don’t understand a stroke happens in the brain and wrongly believe a stroke only affects older people.

"A stroke isn't only a medical emergency from which you either die or survive, but instead the start of a long and gruelling journey to rebuilding a life. For so many stroke survivors, the fight doesn’t end when their lives are saved, yet every day survivors and their families are left traumatised and without the long-term rehabilitation and support they need. After everything a stroke takes, no-one should have to fight for essential support to recover and live a full life again.”

As part of the campaign, the Stroke Association unveiled a giant brain carved entirely from ice on London’s Southbank, creating a striking spectacle in the heart of the capital. Standing at 2.5 metres tall, the sculpture, which took 150 hours across five days to create, was designed to represent both the complexity and fragility of the human brain.

The ice brain sculpture will be in place at Southbank’s Observation Point on Monday 26^thand Tuesday 27^th October, with members of the public encouraged to stop, view the installation up close and find out more about the impact of stroke through the stroke survivors’ stories.

1.4 million people are living with a brain injury caused by stroke. Help the Stroke Association change what comes next: www.stroke.org.uk/brain

For more information, please contact Laura.Thomas@stroke.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors

Survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted by 3Gem in October 2026.

About the Stroke Association

The F.A.S.T acronym (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) is a test to quickly identify the three most common signs of stroke.

• Face weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
• Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms fully and keep them there?
• Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?
• Time to call 999: if you see any one of these signs.

Over 85,000 people survive a stroke every year in the UK, but surviving a stroke is just the start of a long and gruelling recovery journey.

Mums, dads, grandparents, young people, even children – anyone can have a stroke, and its impact is traumatic.

Brain injury, caused by a stroke, can leave survivors unable to move, see, speak or even swallow.

The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK providing life-long support for all stroke survivors and their families. We provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year, fund vital scientific research, and campaign to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.

Anyone affected by stroke can visit stroke.org.uk or call our dedicated Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100 for information, guidance or a chat when times are tough.

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