Make May purple for stroke awareness month 💜

Posted By: Enable Magazine 1 May 2020

During the month of May, people are coming together to raise awareness of life after stroke during Stroke Awareness Month.

And you can involved, too, by making May purple.

Leading stroke charity, Stroke Association run their Make May Purple campaign to fundraise and spread education on living with stroke.

Call the Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100

STROKE

A stroke is a brain attack, and happens when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and results in brain cells dying. This damage can then cause the body to work in a different way.

View this post on Instagram

Jim, 44, is a dad of four and worked in advertising. When his stroke happened he was unconscious for an hour and a half before a passer-by found him. Eventually, Jim was taken to Lewisham Hospital where he was put in touch with a local Stroke Association Support Coordinator. “After your stroke, you feel so isolated. The Support Coordinator did a really beautiful thing. Strokes are a very lonely experience and she just sat and listened.” The support we offer is a lifeline to stroke survivors like Jim and his family. We’re boosting our current services and developing new ways of supporting people to rebuild their lives after stroke during these difficult times. Now more than ever, we need you. Follow the link in our bio for more information. #RebuildingLives #StrokeSurvivor

A post shared by Stroke Association (@thestrokeassociation) on

There are also several types of stroke, specifically three; ischaemic strokes, haemorrhagic strokes and transient ischemic attacks.

And it’s important to know that there are different causes to stroke. From age, to medical conditions, or lifestyle factors, each could speed up the risk of having a stroke.

Although all strokes are different, they could be minor to severe, with some people in turn requiring support and care after stroke.

Unfortunately, one in eight people die within 30 days of having a stroke.

So, knowing the symptoms is imperative.

SIGNS

The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST.

  • FACE – on one side of a person’s face it may have dropped, meaning a person is unable to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
  • ARMS – it is common for people to be unable to lift both arms and keep them elevated due to the weakness or numbness in one arm.
  • SPEECH – this may become slurred or garbled, or the person may be unable to talk at all despite still being awake. Understanding what is being said to them may become challenging, too.
  • TIME – if you notice any of the above symptoms, it is important to dial 999 as fast as possible.

Additional symptoms could also include dizziness and confusion, difficulty swallowing, a severe headache resulting in blinding pain, and loss of consciousness.

Thus, knowledge of stroke is imperative and why Make May Purple is so important.

INVOLVED

There are many ways you can get involved with Make May Purple – and staying in line with COVID-19 restrictions.

From challenging friends and family to a virtual quiz, get creative with arts and crafts – bonus points for using as much purple as you can – to making some purple inspired tasty treats, and beyond.

How will you get involved and Make May Purple? Let the #EnableCommunity know on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE

Accessibility Tools