strikes back
Psychiatrist suffers stroke, then analyses symptoms to help others
Dr Tony Saunders always looked after his health, so it seemed doubly unfair when he collapsed with a major stroke in the gym. Tony’s family were worried that he could die, as stroke takes a life every 13 minutes in the UK. And it’s the leading cause of severe adult disability. Fortunately, with excellent treatment, Tony eventually returned towork. But Tony noticed that discussing his stroke made him anxious – he even started stuttering. As a psychiatrist, he identified this as post-traumatic stress disorder. He then realised that, on top of his medical training, he now had valuable first-hand experience of stroke. So Tony struck back by overcoming his anxiety, and giving talks to medical students. As a result, a newgeneration of doctors are supporting their patients with powerful new techniques. This is Tony’s legacy. And nowyou can strike back against stroke too, by leaving us a legacy of your own.