Media Release on behalf of STEPS Rehabilitation.
On the 25th November 2017, 27-year-old mechanical engineering student, David Noblet, suffered a life-changing stroke. As a previously fit and healthy young man, his attack came as a huge shock but with the help of his family and a strong team of stroke rehabilitation specialists (based in Sheffield), David has now returned to University and wants to share his experience to inspire other young stroke sufferers.
Statistics released by the Stroke Association suggest that the rate of strokes in young people is on the rise. However young stroke survivors report greater unmet needs that than older stroke survivors. Needs relating to rehabilitation, work or study disruptions and disturbances of family routines. Understanding experiences of young people with stroke is critical given the longer length of time that they will live with potentially lasting impairments and the ripple effect on society.
What David’s story shows is that through early and intensive rehabilitation the long-term outcomes of young stroke survivors are vastly improved.
David’s story
David had gone to bed with what he thought was a simple headache, but when he awoke in the night he was experiencing severe weakness down his left hand side and was rushed to hospital for treatment. After being told he had suffered a stroke (caused by a carotid artery dissection) his doctors advised him that he was unlikely to walk again.
For a young man in his prime this was devastating news. David and his family refused to accept the prognosis. After spending three weeks in hospital, with very little physiotherapy (only 5 short sessions) David’s father tracked down a specialist rehabilitation centre in Sheffield – STEPS Rehabilitation. They were used to treating younger people and by engaging in a mixture of therapies – physiotherapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy and music therapy – David quickly made positive progress.
He has learnt how to walk again, and set himself personal goals to walk, rather than catch a bus whenever possible. He’s has also recently started training with a pro-boxer, and whilst he has been left with some long-term disabilities (he doesn’t have full use of his left, he walks very slowly, and he has some cognitive impairments that affect his concentration) David is an inspiration to other young stroke survivors of what can be achieved with the right rehabilitation.
At the end of September David returned to university in Nottingham to complete his 3rd year. Much has changed for him in the past year, but he believes that his stroke was a blessing in disguise as he now never takes anything in life for granted.
