A stroke sufferer dubbed ‘Miss Christmas’ by friends has rekindled her joy for the festive season after being like a third of survivors this time of year – and feeling a burden to her loved-ones. The Stroke Association has also found 46 percent of survivors now feel negatively about Christmas time due to their health impacts – while 66 percent are frustrated not being able to do things at Christmas they once did before.
Today and every day, another 240 people will wake up to the life-changing impact of a stroke, leaving many unable to move, see, speak, or even swallow and spark personality changes and depression. To highlight the new research, the Stroke Association charity has released a short film, ‘Still Christmas’ – narrated by celebrity supporters like Gavin and Stacey’s Alison Steadman – and featuring Yuletide home videos shared by survivors.
In 2023 the Daily Express launched our ‘Let Stroke Patients Thrive’ campaign, for better aftercare and access to miracle procedure thrombectomy – speedily removing the clot so some patients can return home that same day.
Now stroke-surviving ‘Miss Christmas’ Jo Dayton, 37, from Grimsby, has told the Express how suddenly collapsing in October 2024 turned her world and thoughts over the festive season upside down.
The mother-of-three explained how after waking that morning her partner Ian was shocked to notice her face was slumped on one side and asked her: “Oh my god, are you okay?”
Jo told us: “I said I felt fine as I felt normal. He rang an ambulance and sat me on the side of the bed and I couldn’t sit up so he laid me on the floor and that’s when I realised I couldn’t feel my leg.
“When he was on the phone telling them he thought I was having a stroke, I was thinking, ‘don’t be stupid, no I’m not’.”
At hospital, doctors confirmed the stroke was caused by a blood clot but later also had a bleed on the brain caused by the medication to help reduce the clots.
Confused and in disbelief, Jo struggled on the stroke ward – “everything was a bit of a blur” – and desperate for her home but spent two weeks in hospital.
She added: “But back home I couldn’t go out and do normal things.
“I felt like a failure as a mother because I couldn’t do the school run and things because of the weakness in my hand. I also had sensory issues: anything cold or hot, my affected arm would seize up.”
As a huge fan of the festive time of year and with three kids – Evelyn, nine, Morgan, 17, and Bailey, 20 – Christmas hit especially hard for Jo.
Jo said: “I normally decorate the whole house with a new theme, put up seven Christmas trees but I couldn’t do any of that.
“I don’t know what it is about Christmas, but when it comes to September I’m in Christmas mode. Although I wanted to be a part of Christmas, it was like I didn’t want to be. Mentally it was draining and I was too tired to do things.”
The financial burden of Jo’s stroke also hit her and her usual Christmas plans, with her worrying they could not afford the mortgage.
She said: “I was using a lot more gas because I was cold all the time.
“I just felt more sorry for the kids thinking they would end up having a rubbish time at Christmas -It was deflating. I think people need to understand more about the financial strain of stroke, particularly around times like Christmas.”
Now as her second Christmas post stroke arrives, Jo is excited to get into the festive spirit again and feel fully involved despite the effects of her stroke.
Jo said: “At Christmas, you realise that family is more important than anything. The kids didn’t get as much that year, but they are old enough to realise that they still had me there.
“Looking back on the last year, I feel sad, but fortunate. This year, I’m just looking forward to quality family time.
“I think it’ll be nice to actually cook Christmas dinner this year as well and actually put the tree up with my family. I’m one of those people who just won’t let anything stop me especially at this time of year.”
The Stroke Association survey of 1,000 stroke survivors found, of those who had experienced a Christmas following their stroke, almost a third (28%) couldn’t cook the festive dinner, and more than a quarter (26%) couldn’t visit friends and family or leave the house.
Almost a quarter of stroke survivors (23%) couldn’t decorate the Christmas tree, while around a fifth (19%) couldn’t play with their children or grandchildren.
Of those who now felt negatively about Christmas, over a quarter (27%) said this was because they were too tired to socialise, while a quarter (25%) said they felt under pressure to act or feel like themselves before their stroke.
One in five people (18%) felt under financial pressure at Christmas due to their stroke, and the same number of people (18%) felt unable to join in the celebrations with their family and friends.
The survey also highlighted ways in which loved ones may be able to support stroke survivors at Christmas, to help them enjoy the festive period.
Almost half of people (40%) said that offering to help with the preparation, such as wrapping gifts and decorating the tree, would be a big support, while over a third (39%) said they’d appreciate friends and family offering to host or go to the stroke survivor’s home to best accommodate their needs.
Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “So many of us associate Christmas time with joy, being together with family and friends, and enjoying much loved traditions.
“But for another 85,000 people in the UK, this year will be their first Christmas after a stroke, and those things we all take for granted are no longer the same.
“A stroke can have physical and cognitive impacts, as well as emotional trauma, with survivors facing a long journey to relearn lost skills and adapt to new circumstances.
“But, with strength, determination and the right support, recovery is possible. That’s why we’ve created our powerful new film, to highlight the devastation stroke can cause, and to remind people that we are here for support.
“Stroke support is crucial at any time of year for stroke survivors and their loved ones, but we know we are not reaching everyone who needs help.
“We’re encouraging everyone to give the gift of stroke support this Christmas, whether as a donation, volunteering your time or fundraising, so that we can help more survivors and their loved ones find their strength and their way back to life after a stroke.”
* To give the gift of stroke support this Christmas – visit https://www.stroke.org.uk/donate
