It’s time for it to go! Hair and beard! All of it! Because... Stroke, cancer and coronary heart disease don’t care how fit and healthy you are, they strike indiscriminately. At any age to anyone! My life changed on 15th January 2017, when totally out of the blue. I found myself on the floor, alone, unable to get up or to get help. Helpless, not really understanding what the hell was going on. Hours later, when the word ‘stroke’ was mentioned, I struggled to take it in. No way! Not me. Strokes happened to old or unhealthy people, surely? I was young, fit, strong and healthy. Well, apparently not any longer. I went from hero to zero in that one moment. Subsequently, I discovered that, contrary to common belief, about 25% of strokes affect younger people, of working age or even younger. Even children and babies. Different Strokes is a charity that supports younger stroke survivors and raises awareness because most of the services out there are still aimed at old people. After nearly 4 months in hospital and a rehab centre, learning to sit, stand and then gradually walk again, I was finally back home again, but life was very different. Since then, I have spent countless hours with neuro physios and a specialist personal trainer to try to improve my mobility. I have taken part in studies, being prodded and poked by various specialists, and have the dubious pleasure of looking forward to more of the same. My aim now is to get my driving licence back and to continue working towards getting back on my mountain bike. Stroke recovery is tough and slow. Frustratingly slow. With no guarantees. But the impact doesn’t limit itself to the person having the stroke either, it affects everyone around them. My family and friends have definitely been affected by my stroke. The same goes with cancer and coronary heart disease, both of which have affected the lives of virtually everyone I know. That’s why it’s important to raise awareness and fund more research. I want to do what little I can to help others, and shaving my head, after having had long hair for well over 20 years, seemed like a good starting point. Please help me raise some well-needed funds for these three important charities. Look after yourselves people, to minimise the chances of any of it happening to you- Thank you.

Graham Betteridge Tweet