Vanessa Matthewson has made great strides since her stroke 12 months ago. Now the Ipswich woman is on a mission to educate others about the signs of stroke, all while raising much needed funds for Stroke Foundation.
The 61-year-old woke up in August last year with what felt like a numb arm. She went downstairs to make her morning coffee, but felt confused, and her arm wasn’t working properly. She quickly realised something was seriously wrong.
“I spent three months in hospital recovering after my stroke, it left me with aphasia and apraxia. I couldn’t speak at all at first, but after 25 days of intensive speech therapy, I was able to say my first word, which was doctor,” Vanessa said.
“I had to relearn how to do basic tasks such as showering and how to use cutlery.”
Despite working as a carer for more than a decade, Vanessa said she knew little about stroke or aphasia until she experienced it. That’s why she’s participating in Stroke Foundation’s major annual fundraiser, Stride4Stroke.
The event sees participants increase their ‘moving minutes,’ by setting an activity to complete within the month, from walking, running, swimming, cycling, or setting a goal in stroke rehabilitation.
“I’ll be walking around my neighbourhood with my support workers. We started in July and have already done 22 kilometres,” Vanessa said.
It comes as data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows nearly two in five Australian adults aged between 18 and 64 do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity (37 per cent).
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa Murphy, says this is a concerning statistic.
“This equates to around 10.5 million Australians who are not getting the recommended amount of physical exercise. Being physically active is important for good health and wellbeing at any age, and is one of the most simple and effective ways you can reduce your risk of stroke.”
Dr Murphy is asking all Aussies to get moving this September to reduce their risk of stroke and other chronic conditions.
“Stride4Stroke gives Australians a simple and inclusive way to get moving, raise awareness and help create a future with fewer strokes,” Dr Murphy said.
“We know 80 per cent of strokes are preventable, so the good news is you can lower your risk of stroke by getting regular health check-ups with your GP, and making healthier changes such as exercising regularly, quitting smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet and reducing your alcohol intake,” Dr Murphy said.
“You can stride anywhere, anytime, and in any way that gets you moving. Just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can reduce your risk of stroke by 25 per cent; and every dollar raised goes towards vital stroke prevention, research, recovery programs and advocacy.”
