Mum's plea to others after 17-year-old son died when his stroke was misdiagnosed
A mum whose 17-year-old son died from a sudden stroke is now sending his image around the globe to raise awareness.
Ben Littlewood was excited about college life, where he was training to be a joiner. But one night in 2019, while caring for his little sister, he collapsed on the kitchen floor and started having seizures.
His terrified mum, Vicki Brocklehurst, found him at their home in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester. Days later, after several scans and tests which initially misdiagnosed him, it was revealed Ben had suffered a stroke.
Now Vicki is raising awareness about strokes in young people - with his face travelling over 9,000 miles in the hope that sharing Ben's story could save lives. "I'd only been out of the house for an hour or two in the evening," she said.
Ben with mum Vicki and sister Lucy (Vicki Brocklehurst)
Ben at the top of Banff National Park (Vicki Brocklehurst)"I came home and found Ben collapsed and fitting in the kitchen," Ben's mum told the Manchester Evening News about the tragic events of April 3, 2019. "I didn't know what had gone on - I honestly thought he was pranking me at first. But then I realised what was happening and dialled 999. Some lovely paramedics took him to AandE but he continued to fit. There had been none of the typical signs of stroke at that point."
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
A CT scan taken when Ben first went into hospital showed 'everything was normal' and that there were 'no abnormalities'. Meningitis tests came back clear. But Ben continued to fit and doctors were forced to sedate the helpless teenager.
Attempts were made to awake Ben, but each time, he tragically carried on having fits. The CT scan was repeated, finally revealing that Ben had suffered a stroke four days after he first collapsed.
Ben in Dubai (Vicki Brocklehurst)
Images of Ben with stones in his memory (Vicki Brocklehurst)"Ben didn't drink, he didn't smoke - there was nothing about him that gave any reason for him having a stroke," added Vicki. "You only have a certain amount of time to treat strokes, we had gone well past that. I knew there was no possibility of him surviving."
"He could have turned his head too quickly - but exactly why he had a stroke, we'll never know." Vicki and her family have found a way of moving on in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy - raising awareness of strokes in younger people as one in four strokes happen to people of working age. "You have to let it go to a degree," she said.
"I decided that it had to be about raising awareness. I wouldn't want any other parent to go through what I went through losing Ben. If sharing our story can save one life, it will be worth it. We all have our days where it's incredibly difficult, but it gives me a sense of purpose."
Ben made it to Bondi (Vicki Brocklehurst)Vicki is spreading the word about strokes in young people through her campaign, 'Ben's Hope For Stroke Awareness', using painted rocks. She started this project in April, on the fourth anniversary of Ben's passing.
Ben had a dream to travel the world, so Vicki and her loved ones made painted rocks in his memory. They asked folks to take these rocks with them on their journeys, spreading the message that strokes can affect young people too. These rocks are then discovered by others who continue their journey.
Since the start of Vicki's campaign, Ben's rocks have travelled to places like Canada, New York, Dubai, Greece, Spain, Germany, and even Australia. They've also been found across the UK, from Penzance to Scotland. Photos of where Ben's rocks end up are sent back to Vicki, often with heartfelt messages.
This month, one rock made it all the way to Australia - the furthest any rock has travelled in the campaign. It's a fitting tribute to Ben, a 'cheeky chappy' who loved the great outdoors as an army cadet.
The rock journeyed all the way to Bondi Beach, travelling over 9,320 miles from San Diego via Hawaii, French Polynesia, the Reunion Islands, Tonga, and finally landing in Sydney on Sunday. It was picked up by a couple at Menorca Airport. This not only fulfils Ben's dreams of seeing the world, but also keeps his memory alive as people continue to see his face on the rocks.
Disabled woman paralysed after falling from wheelchair on plane walkway dies
Vicki said: "The way that people have engaged with the stones and Ben's story has been breath taking. Even if the stones have just travelled a few miles down the road, when people share their pictures, when I see Ben's face in those places, I do feel like he's there."
"Some places really move me like when someone shared a picture from the top of Snowdon. Ben and I climbed Snowdon together in 2012, it was one of our favourite places. It was quite a moment to see him back there again. One woman picked up a stone that I left on a bench in Woodley, near Stockport and held onto it for weeks, taking it with her and her family on a 1000-mile journey across Canada, sharing photos with as she went."
Vicki is also an ambassador for the Different Strokes charity, a UK stroke charity providing a unique service to younger stroke survivors and information about stroke in young people. "Something needs to change because too many of our young people are having strokes and it's getting missed," she said. "Everyone thinks strokes only happen to the elderly.
Vicki is urging young people to trust their instincts and seek medical help if they feel something isn't right. She's also promoting the 'BE-FAST' acronym for stroke symptoms, which goes beyond the commonly known 'FAST' signs. For more information, visit Different Strokes here.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
