In this episode, we speak to Morgan Leigh, who experienced a haemorrhagic stroke at just 22 after an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) in her thalamus haemorrhaged.

Morgan first discovered she had an AVM at 18, after being hit in the head while at high school. Four years later, she experienced a brain haemorrhage that left her in a wheelchair and facing a long road to recovery.

Today, Morgan is walking and talking again, although she still walks with a limp. In this episode, she shares what happened, what recovery has really been like, and what life looks like after surviving a brain haemorrhage at a young age.

Morgan talks about:

• Discovering she had an AVM at 18 after being hit in the head at high school.
• What it was like to find out there was an abnormality in her brain at such a young age.
• What she understood about her AVM at the time and how she felt about living with it.
• Experiencing a haemorrhagic stroke at 22 and what she remembers about the day it happened.
• The shock of suddenly finding herself in a wheelchair and losing her independence.
• The early stages of recovery and the challenges of rehabilitation.
• Having to relearn things that many of us take for granted.
• The physical and emotional impact of recovering from a brain haemorrhage in your twenties.
• What recovery looks like today, including walking and talking again and living with a limp.
• The things people don't necessarily see or understand about life after a brain haemorrhage.
• How the experience has changed the way she sees herself, her life and her future.
• What she wishes she had known when she first discovered her AVM at 18.
• Why she believes more people should understand what AVMs are and the potential risks associated with them.
• AVMs and aneurysms — what they are, how they can be discovered and what can happen when they bleed.
• Whether AVMs can be detected before they cause a problem and what people should know if Morgan's story raises concerns for them.
• What she would say to other young people facing an AVM, brain haemorrhage or stroke.

Support The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

The Natalie Kate Moss Trust funds research into brain haemorrhage, with the aim of improving outcomes for people affected by this devastating condition.

If you would like to support our work, you can make a donation here:

https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/donate?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Monthly Blood Pressure Reminders

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for brain haemorrhage. Regularly checking your blood pressure can help you understand your numbers and identify high blood pressure.

Sign up to receive a monthly reminder to check your blood pressure:

https://mailchi.mp/nataliekatemoss.co.uk/monthly-reminders?utm_source=chatgpt.com

More about The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Read Morgan’s book ‘Stroke Warrior’

https://a.co/d/0dDBMjFg

In this episode, released during Stroke Awareness Month, we speak to Abbie, a researcher at the University of Manchester working on a project supported by The Natalie Kate Moss Trust.

Abbie’s research is exploring whether an intracerebral haemorrhage - a stroke caused by bleeding inside the brain - could be identified before a patient reaches hospital.

At present, paramedics cannot reliably distinguish a brain haemorrhage from a stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel without a hospital brain scan. Abbie’s work is helping to develop a diagnostic approach that combines a rapid finger-prick blood test with clinical information such as blood pressure and level of consciousness.

Earlier diagnosis could ultimately allow patients to receive the right treatment sooner. Because when somebody experiences a stroke, Every Second Counts.

Abbie talks about:

• What an intracerebral haemorrhage is and why the first few hours are so critical.
• Why paramedics cannot currently identify the type of stroke inside an ambulance.
• How a finger-prick test for a protein called GFAP could help detect bleeding in the brain.
• Why the test result would be combined with clinical information such as blood pressure and consciousness.
• The Greater Manchester DIAGNOSIS study and how its findings will inform the project.
• Why distinguishing between bleeding and a blockage is essential before treatment begins.
• How early blood-pressure treatment could potentially improve outcomes for patients with an intracerebral haemorrhage.
• The importance of making any new diagnostic approach safe, accurate and practical for paramedics.
• What researchers can learn from patients, paramedics and hospital stroke clinicians.
• The next steps towards testing the approach in ambulances.
• How support from The Natalie Kate Moss Trust is helping to move this work forward.
• Why recognising the signs of stroke and seeking emergency help immediately can make such an important difference.

Learn More About the Research

Discover more about the project and how researchers hope to diagnose and treat intracerebral haemorrhage sooner:

https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/blog/diagnosing-and-treating-intracerebral-haemorrhage-in-the-ambulance

Support The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

The Natalie Kate Moss Trust funds research into brain haemorrhage, with the aim of improving prevention, treatment and outcomes for people affected by this devastating condition.

If you would like to support this research and the Trust’s wider work, you can make a donation here:

https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/donate

Every Second Counts

This episode forms part of our Every Second Counts campaign during Stroke Awareness Month.

A stroke is always a medical emergency. If you think that you or somebody else may be experiencing a stroke, call 999 immediately. Do not wait to see whether the symptoms improve.

Monthly Blood Pressure Reminders

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for brain haemorrhage. Regularly checking your blood pressure can help you understand your numbers and identify high blood pressure.

Sign up to receive a monthly reminder to check your blood pressure:

https://mailchi.mp/nataliekatemoss.co.uk/monthly-reminders

More from the Podcast

If you’re new to the podcast, there are plenty of episodes to catch up on across Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3, featuring personal experiences, expert insight and conversations about brain-haemorrhage prevention, treatment and recovery.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the podcast.

In this episode, we speak to Jenna, whose husband Dom had a brain haemorrhage two years ago. We heard Dom’s story in Series 2; this episode explores the experience from Jenna’s perspective as his wife and as a mum to their three children.

Jenna talks about:

• What family life was like before Dom’s brain haemorrhage.
• The day Dom became unwell and how she recognised that something was seriously wrong.
• The shock of finding out he had suffered a brain haemorrhage.
• What the first days in hospital were like and how she managed the uncertainty.
• Supporting Dom while caring for their three children.
• How the experience affected their children and how they responded to Dom’s recovery.
• The impact of the brain haemorrhage on Jenna’s own mental health and wellbeing.
• How the experience affected their relationship and family life.
• What recovery has looked like for Dom, including fatigue, brain fog, headaches and other ongoing difficulties.
• Living with the reality of an invisible illness and why recovery can be difficult to see from the outside.
• The support Jenna and her family received and the support she feels is needed for partners and families.
• What she wishes she had known when Dom first became ill.
• What she would say to other partners and families going through a similar experience.

Support The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

The Natalie Kate Moss Trust funds research into brain haemorrhage, with the aim of improving outcomes for people affected by this devastating condition.

If you would like to support our work, you can make a donation here:

Donate to The Natalie Kate Moss Trust
https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/donate?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Monthly Blood Pressure Reminders

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for brain haemorrhage. Regularly checking your blood pressure can help you understand your numbers and identify high blood pressure.

Sign up to receive a monthly reminder to check your blood pressure:

Sign up for monthly blood pressure reminders
https://mailchi.mp/nataliekatemoss.co.uk/monthly-reminders?utm_source=chatgpt.com

More about The Natalie Kate Moss Trust

Find out more about the Natalie Kate Moss Trust
https://www.nataliekatemoss.co.uk/