15 May 2023 , 23:06
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A dad has shared how he was left unable to recognise his own daughter after a devastating stroke.
Paul Flaherty says he struggled to remember anything about the past six years of his life when he woke up in hospital in May last year - even including the fact he had a daughter in Eden, who is now seven.
The 48-year-old had quickly realised he was having a stroke when he suddenly became unwell and felt his left arm go numb - because his father had suffered one just month earlier.
Desperate to get help while he still had time, he phoned his ex-partner and uttered the word 'stroke'.
The dad was rushed by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary before being transferred (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)He was then rushed by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, reports the Daily Record.
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Paul was given CT and MRI scans at the hospitals within just two hours - and admits he was "very fortunate" to be given medical attention so rapidly.
But some of effects of the strokes on his memory and cognition were shocking, as he told the newspaper: “After the first stroke, I didn’t even know I had a daughter.
"My dad was talking to me about someone called Eden and I had to ask who Eden was. It was strange to find out I had a daughter, and she was six."
“When I was first on the ward, I couldn’t really speak, and I couldn’t move. It was very scary. But within three or four days, the feeling started to come back on my right side.
"I did some really simple exercises with the physios, and I began to feel a bit of hope because I’d been feeling very down and had given up on myself a little bit."
Just as he began to make important steps in his recovery, he suffered another stroke, this time one which impacted his speech rather than his mobility.
Paul suffered a second stroke during his recovery - but is determined to be there for his daughter (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)A scan revealed the second stroke had caused some additional damage to his brain, which he says has been "frustrating" as he tries to be the best father he can for Eden.
Speaking of his resolve and determination to be there for her and continue his fightback, he said: “I’ve got a seven-year-old daughter, and we go swimming three times a week and I collect her from school, so I am trying to do the usual things. But there are times when it’s been very frustrating.
“I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep doing what I can. I know how lonely it can be to be recovering from something like this. I had a lot of support, but I can’t imagine how hard it would be for someone who lives alone or doesn’t have anyone to help them out."
Paul has been joined on his journey by his employers Curia, a global research business in drug development, who have partnered with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland as their chosen charity for 2023.
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He said he was "so pleased" that the firm had chosen Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland "because of the work they do for people like me.”
Louise MacLeod, Community, Events and Corporate Fundraiser at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland added: “We are delighted that Curia has chosen Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland to be its charity partner for 2023. The team has already committed to taking part in some fantastic activities to raise money for CHSS.
“The support from our fundraising partners like Curia allows us to provide much needed services to the one in five people in Scotland living with chest, heart and stroke conditions so that they can live their lives to the full. I am excited to develop our partnership throughout the coming year.”