A CO Down driving instructor has described the "invisible" symptoms she still faces in her struggle to recover from a devastating stroke.
Kim Colhoun from Saintfield was having breakfast with her husband and mother when she suffered a stroke in February. She was rushed to hospital where she underwent emergency brain surgery.
Seven months on, the 48-year-old has spoke out about her "terrifying" experience and how she still struggles with aphasia - a communication disability which affects around a third of stroke survivors - in a bid to raise awareness of a new campaign by the Stroke Association.
Recalling the day she suffered the stroke, the mother-of-two said she realised something was wrong when she began "dribbling down my face on the right side".
"I couldn’t speak and I had lost movement down my right hand side," she said.
"Thankfully my husband Basil remembered the FAST advert and called an ambulance and I was rushed to Royal Victoria Hospital. Within two hours I was given clot busting drugs and had surgery to remove a clot from my brain.
"It was terrifying. I just kept going over my husband’s and children’s names in my head and trying to make the shapes of the words with my mouth.
"On my third day in hospital the speech therapist came to visit me.
"She explained that part of my brain had effectively died but by using neuro-plasticity we could rewire my brain with lots of practice.
"I was given lots of homework which I did diligently, practising the exercises with my friends and family."
Ms Colhoun said she has been left "with lots of invisible symptoms", but the support of the Stroke Association has helped on her road to recovery.
"It’s going to take some time for me to fully recover but I’m determined to get back to work as a driving instructor and live life to the full," she said.
"The stroke has left me with lots of invisible symptoms - things like difficulty processing information, extreme fatigue and problems with my speech.
"But I feel lucky that I’ve received lots of support from the Community Stroke Team and Stroke Association.
"Having a stroke changes things but I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received."
Ms Colhoun is getting involved in the charity's 'Give a Hand and Bake' - an initiative to raise funds for stroke survivors from October 23 to 29.
Denise Crozier from the Stroke Association said: "There are over 37,000 stroke survivors living in Northern Ireland who need our support to rebuild their lives.
"By taking part in Give a Hand and Bake, you could help people who have been affected by stroke get their lives back on track.
"As a charity dependent upon funds, we’d love people across Northern Ireland to have some fun and bake up a storm with friends, family or colleagues this Autumn.
"The money raised will go a long way to funding innovative research into stroke care and treatment."
