Young Sussex stroke survivor calls for more support

Chris Moon, from Sussex, was only 29 when he experienced a stroke, which affected his ability to read, write and talk.

His ten-year marriage to his wife Hannah Moon, was also affected as they felt they lacked support and were left to deal with major issues alone.

Chris, now 37, said: “I had to fight to get back everything that was important to me.

“Getting my confidence back with nobody to help you or guide you is impossible.

“With reading and writing, it’s not that I have exactly given up, but I have tried so much, even reading kids’ books, and I now have to rely on tech to read a little text at a time.

“I was doing really well with NHS speech therapy – but nine months later it just stopped. They told me I should have only had three months of support.

“Even with nine months of support I could only speak 20 words and couldn’t say a proper sentence.

Hannah and Chris say more support is needed for young stroke survivors and for couples (Image: Hannah Moon/PA Wire) “So I couldn’t do any speech therapy, I couldn’t work, I couldn’t say any sentences. I really struggled for well over a year to communicate before finding someone else who could help me.

“I felt depressed. Everyone our age works so it’s not like you can see people. I was desperate to get up and running again.”

Chris said as well as feeling there was a limited amount of speech therapy available, he struggled with securing mental health support due to his difficulties in communicating how he felt to his GP.

After finding a rehabilitation centre for adults with an acquired brain injury, Chris says he is now “back where he needs to be”.

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Ex-wife Hannah, 36, described how care currently in place isn’t as effective for young stroke survivors, as well as there being a lack of support for couples.

She said: “It soon became apparent that both of us needed a different kind of support, real-world support, to get our lives back on track. You need this to give you hope.

“But the stark reality is that care after a stroke isn’t the right fit for young sufferers. There is not enough support to get back to everyday life.

“There was no face-to-face couples' therapy as we couldn’t afford it or we were told it wasn’t available. We separated last November.”

Chris added: “Couples' therapy is also essential. It’s so important for the survivor’s carer and loved one.

“I think it hurt Hannah more than it hurt me.”

Hannah is set to complete a cycling and hiking challenge around Ibiza to raise funds for SameYou, a charity set up by Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke after she suffered a brain haemorrhage at 24.

The charity aims to support young stroke survivors to rebuild their lives due to the lack of rehabilitation services available to them.