Rebecca Brotherton was 23 years old and five months pregnant when she had a life-changing stroke.
She collapsed at home one evening, minutes after complaining of a headache. There were no other warning signs and no family history of stroke.
Fast medical assistance saved her life and that of her unborn child. She spent the next seven months in a rehabilitation unit. During this time she gave birth to Rachel.
The stroke left new mother Rebecca with severe weakness on her right side, including a paralysed hand and some difficulties with speech and language.
Rebecca and Phil were just a year into their marriage when the stroke happened, and Phil, then 34, knew that things would never be the same for the family from Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
As well as being a loving husband, dedicated father and the household’s only money earner, Phil is now a part-time carer for his wife.
"It’s been a massive upheaval," says the 38-year-old. "We had just got married. We were expecting our first child. Our lives changed overnight."
While Phil is at work as an IT systems manager at a secondary school, a care worker helps with day-to-day tasks at home, including caring for Rachel.
Phil has recently begun counselling sessions to help him cope with the impact Rachel’s stroke has had on family life.
"I wish I'd had counselling earlier," he says. "I thought I didn’t need it. People were telling me to do it but I resisted."
It was three years after Rachel’s stroke that Phil talked to his GP and arranged counselling through the NHS.
"The counselling has helped me come to terms with what’s happened," he says. "We’re not really a family unit any more because of the round-the-clock care, but I’ve learned to accept that."
Slowly improving
Rebecca is entitled to full Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance, which pays for 70 hours a week of home help and any mobility equipment that she needs.
The home help means that Phil can take the occasional break from his caring responsibilities without having to worry about arranging respite care (someone to take over his caring duties).
Four years after the stroke, Rebecca is slowly recovering thanks to physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
She is able to walk short distances again but she still has trouble with speech and memory.
"Rebecca will probably require care for the rest of her life," says Phil. "But the fact that she was young when she had the stroke means that her body and brain are more resilient.
"Her condition is improving all the time. She can now walk again and her speech and language will continue to get better."
If you need help with caring for someone, you can visit Carers Direct for information, advice and support or call the helpline on 0808 802 0202.
