‘Having stroke at 18 was a huge shock’

A DUNDEE woman who had a stroke at the age of 18 is set to take on a 10km walk 10 years on as “the final step” in her recovery.

Jennifer Gall was your average business student at Abertay University when one day she collapsed in the bathroom.

The 28-year-old awoke in Ninewells Hospital and her whole world “turned upside down” when she found out the reason for the incident was that she had suffered a stroke.

She today spoke to the Tele about her experience and the decade-long recovery which followed.

She said: “When I woke up, I couldn’t remember anything and I couldn’t speak at all.

“Having a stroke wasn’t something that I had ever considered happening to me — especially when I was so young.

“Doctors said that it had happened due to me having heart problems because I was born premature.

“It was a huge shock to me — it was just the biggest shock of my life to wake up in hospital and be told that I had suffered a stroke. My whole world turned upside down but I decided that all I could do was try to get better again.”

The Broughty Ferry woman said she had a long road of speech therapy and other rehabilitative treatments.

She attended a Speak Easy group, where she says everyone else was elderly.

Jennifer credits the “amazing” staff at Ninewells Hospital and also at Royal Victoria Hospital where she received treatment.

Two years ago, she managed to return to college and then secured a full-time job in administration last year.

She said: “It was a long hard road but I just kept in my head that I had to work hard on getting better. I love being back at work — I especially love being 9am to 5pm and getting weekends off.”

Jennifer is now set to tackle a 10km sponsored walk on March 5, along with friend Caroline McKay to raise money for Stroke Association.

She said: “From my experience, I know just how important groups like this are.

“It is what they do behind the scenes, the work that people don’t see and don’t know about that really makes the biggest difference in people’s lives.”

People who want to contribute to Jennifer’s effort can visit justgiving.com/fundraising/ Jennifer-Gall.

Jennifer Gall suffered a stroke when she was aged just 18. She is now set to take on a 10km walk in the “final steps of her recovery”.