Dublin mum still lives with devastating results of stroke after giving birth
A mother has relived the shock of a life-changing stroke just days after she brought her newborn son home from hospital.
Lisa Kenny, 42, was separated from her family for seven months after the crippling health emergency derailed the joy of welcoming baby Alfie in October 2019.
She now lives with aphasia, an acquired language disorder that often occurs following brain injury, such as stroke. Pic: Emma Kenny/PA Wire
She spoke about her experience as part of Aphasia Awareness Month. Aphasia affects the understanding of spoken or written language, including reading and writing or the production of spoken language.
Ms Kenny, from Balbriggan, north Co. Dublin, said: 'With my stroke and aphasia, it was hard to suddenly be separated from my children because I couldn't talk and I was on a lot of medication. When I was in hospital, it was so hard because I couldn't see my children: Emily, now 13, and Alfie.'
Her first symptom of stroke, four days after returning home with Alfie, was a headache, and she later lost feeling in her right arm and leg before her face began to droop. Ms Kenny's fiancé, Paul, phoned for an ambulance, and a brain scan revealed she had experienced a haemorrhagic stroke, where there is a bleed in the brain as opposed to a blockage in a blood vessel. She underwent brain surgery and had another operation two months later to replace her skull bone.
Due to complications including pneumonia and seizure, it would be seven months before Lisa could return home from the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, where she worked with occupational, physical, speech and language therapists.
'Now, I'm okay with speaking and talking, it's 50/50. I have got back to normal texting, which is huge for my communication,' she said. Pic: Emma Kenny/PA Wire
However, she could not return to work as a result of her aphasia, a disorder that affects how you communicate through speech, as well as the way you write. Lisa uses Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) supports to aid her recovery, including the Young Stroke Survivors Network, the Life After Stroke private Facebook group, the Aphasia-Friendly Café and the Rhythm of Recovery Choir.
'I continue to push and challenge myself and just try to stay positive. I keep going, keep strong and healthy, for Emily and Alfie. I choose to laugh, love and be happy because life keeps going on and I will always have them with me. My speech, language, and physiotherapy are the key, too,' she said.
She is working with the national charity to improve her comprehension, reading and maths.
Helen Gaynor, head of community support services with the charity, said the IHF 'offers a variety of support services for people living with the life-changing effects of a stroke, including the challenges of aphasia'.
She added: 'Our Stroke Connect Service and peer support groups are available to anyone who has experienced a stroke, and those living with aphasia. Our Step By Step Through Stroke booklet, a helpful guide for stroke survivors, families and carers, helps people prepare for potential changes due to stroke, such as communication difficulties.' For more information, visit Irishheart.ie.
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