Craig’s life changed in an instant.. stroke victims need all the help they can get
It’s a day I’ll never forget.
When I received a phone call to tell me my friend Craig Alexander Wilson had suffered a stroke, I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing.
I naively thought strokes could only occur in older people and I learned the hard way that it can affect anyone at any age.
Craig was 38, healthy and in the prime of his life.
The devastating news was just the beginning of a very long journey supporting him in his recovery and coming to terms with the aftereffects and it’s one of the hardest periods I’ve been through in my life.
Craig was a columnist for this newspaper and known for his quick wit, humour, warmth and his way with people – and the stroke initially robbed him of all of that.
Visiting him the day after was heartbreaking. He had lost the ability to walk, his appearance had changed and his speech was slurred and laboured.
My best friend who had always greeted me with a cheerful, “Hiya, hen!” had been so unfairly struck down without warning.
I cried every time I drove to East Kilbride’s Hairmyres Hospital to visit. I never let him m see me upset but it killed me to witness the painstaking and slow l process of coming back from a stroke.
The nurses and physios were fantastic but the journey was arduous and torture for all of us who
loved the vivacious, energetic and confident Craig.
In true CAW style, it wasn’t long before he became famous on the ward and everyone was rooting for him as he worked incredibly hard to hit the milestones needed to be released from hospital. His determination to regain his independence still inspires me to this day and on the afternafternoon he was told he coulcould go home I broke dowdown with happiness.
SSlowly but surely a full recrecovery was in our sigsights. With the love and supsupport of family, friends and hhis partner Will, Craig began to get his life back. He started writingwr his Sunday Mail beauty column again and returned to work but it wasn’t meant to be. Craig passed away in 2016.
He did recover from his stroke but complications with his heart took him from us and left a huge and irreplaceable gap in the lives of all who knew him.
As hard as it is to relive the time after the stroke, I hope by talking about what happened, I can help to raise awareness about the physical and emotional effects and offer my understanding and compassion to anyone who has experienced a stroke and those who love them – it’s life-changing.
The charity Supporting Style For Stroke is extremely personal to me and that’s why I’m behind their latest campaign. Founder Nick Ede was also a good friend of Craig and, after losing his mum when she suffered a stroke in her early 20s, he’s a dedicated supporter of the Stroke Association, raising thousands for the charity over the years. I’m in awe of his campaigning.
This year he’s collaborated with Unhidden to produce a stylish T-shirt collection at styleforstrokefashion.com, which is supported by celebrities such as TV host Denise van Outen, actress Michelle Gayle and Loose Women’s Andrea McLean. Proceeds are being donated to the charities Interact Stroke, the Billie Elizabeth Wood Trust and The Stroke Association, which provide specialist support, fund critical research and work to ensure people affected by stroke get the best care and support to rebuild their lives.
It’s fitting that Nick’s collection includes the slogan “one of a kind” because that perfectly describes our friend Craig Alexander Wilson.
It killed witness me to ing painstak the of process back coming from a stroke