When people think about who is affected by stroke, they commonly think of older people. Yet 25-30 percent of people affected by stroke are under the age of 65, according to Stroke Foundation NZ. 

Stroke Foundation Australia’s EnableMe podcast, produced a four-part series called “Young Stroke Podcast”. 

This features people sharing their stroke stories and their recovery journey, with each episode focusing on a different aspect of rehabilitation. 

Episode one is called “I’ve had a stroke, now what?” and introduces people to the reality that stroke affects younger people and looks at the early stages after a stroke. The guests share their top tips for navigating those challenging early days and living a good life. 

Episode two explores “recovery mindset” and acknowledges that recovery means different things to different people. For most people who have experienced a stroke, the recovery is a lifelong journey rather than a destination.  

Episode three “finding the new normal” explores renewal and growth after stroke. The guests share quite openly the struggles they’ve experienced along the way, as well as the silver linings. There is an element of grief and loss with stroke, and a level of acceptance that comes, as the journey progresses. 

The final episode is especially for “parents of stroke survivors” and features Kim Beesley, whose daughter had a stroke when her and her husband were commencing a holiday on the other side of the world. She talks about what it was like in those initial months and what it’s like now, with their daughter now living at home with them. 

This podcast is well worth listening to whether you work directly with stroke patients or not. Each guest speaks from their own lived experience of stroke, and this is always a powerful position to learn from.