Marathon effort after childhood stroke

Marathon effort after childhood stroke

By Pat Hagan

Neil Cottrell is set to run in the Flora London Marathon

Neil Cottrell is fit, active and - at the age of 24 - arguably in the prime of his life.

When he lines up for the start of the Flora London Marathon on 13 April there will be little to differentiate him from the thousands of others who fit the same description.

Except that the fact Neil is able to run the race at all is something of a minor miracle.

At the age of just six, he was struck down by a stroke that threatened to leave him partially paralysed and disabled for life.

Stroke is something most people associate with the elderly.

I had to learn to walk, talk, read and write all over again

Neil Cottrell

The majority of cases are related to ischaemia, damage to the blood vessels that supply the brain, either through the ageing process or risk factors such as an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

But strokes also affect around 100 children every year in the UK. In half, an underlying medical condition, such as sickle cell anaemia or a heart problem, is to blame.

But in the remainder, the cause often remains a complete mystery.

One theory is that it can be due to a rare complication of chickenpox infection, which causes a narrowing of the blood vessels in the head.

Coma

Neil, from West Byfleet in Surrey, now has a successful career as a regional marketing assistant for a property development firm.

But his parents and doctors were shocked when, for no apparent reason, he became ill and slipped into a coma back in 1984.

"I was on my way to swimming classes after school when I fell sick. I was rushed home and I can remember my dad pacing up and down as I lay on the sofa.

"I was mumbling. I knew what I wanted to say but it came out all slurred. Then I was rushed to hospital and kept in for two weeks."

Neil was in a coma for the first 24 hours and when doctors broke the news to his parents that he had suffered a stroke, they were devastated.

"I had to learn to walk, talk, read and write all over again," he said.

His whole right side was affected and even today his right hand does not function as well as his left. He also takes a daily dose of aspirin to thin his blood and reduce the risk of another stroke.

Raising awareness

But Neil considers himself one of the lucky survivors and wants to help by raising funds for the Stroke Association.

He has been training since last September and aims to complete the 26-mile course in less than four hours.

"I just want to raise awareness and get people to realise that strokes can happen to young people as well."