A 24 year old Kingston man has received national recognition for his mission to educate the community that stroke can happen to anyone at any age.
Jake Vincent has today been announced the winner of Volunteer of the Year category at the Stroke Foundation 2021 national Stroke Awards.
Jake began volunteering for Stroke Foundation six months after he suffered a stroke at the age of 22. Jake has developed a reputation as an inspirational StrokeSafe speaker and also provides insight into his lived-experience of stroke as a hospital consumer consultant.
Jake said he was proud to receive the Volunteer of the Year award.
“While it feels great to be recognised for my work, it is a privilege and an honour to represent the Stroke Foundation when I deliver talks to community groups.
“The greatest reward for me is the satisfaction I get from seeing people discussing what they have learnt about stroke prevention and the F.A.S.T. (Face.Arms.Speech.Time) signs of stroke at the end of a presentation.
“I also enjoy speaking to teenagers and young adults about stroke and giving them the knowledge that a stroke can happen to anyone, but with time critical treatment a good recovery is possible.”
The Stroke Foundation Stroke Awards recognise the unsung heroes of stroke – the stroke survivors, carers, volunteers, health professionals and researchers who continually go above and beyond to make a difference to help people with stroke and their families live well.
Stroke Foundation Tasmania State Manager Eamonn O’Toole congratulated Jake on being named as the Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.
“I know this is not what Jake envisaged doing at this stage of his life, but he brings such passion and enthusiasm to his role,” Mr O’Toole said.
“Jake recently shared his story in Stroke Foundation’s election platform Turning the Tide on Stroke supporting the organisation’s call for the Tasmanian State Government to build on the work that has been done in stroke treatment and care locally by investing in action that will save lives.
“We have 270 volunteers at Stroke Foundation who contributed more than 7,000 hours in 2020 alone and we could not do our important work without them.”
The 2021 Stroke Foundation national Stroke Awards are supported by major sponsor Ipsen. The Volunteer of the Year Award was proudly sponsored by NAB Education. Almost 70 people were nominated for the awards this year across six categories: Improving Life after Stroke, Creative, Courage, Fundraiser of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and President’s Achievement.
