THE GOOD SAMARITAN // Stroke Stories

The Team at Pod Bible have been looking through the magazine back catalogue with more than a hint of nostalgia. Each issue, Jason Reed recommends a podcast from the charity and causes sector in his Good Samaritan column. His choice from Issue #005 was the health podcast Stroke Survivor.

After broadcaster Mark Goodier suffered a stroke in 2016, he found that there weren’t too many resources to help survivors, this led him to set up Stroke Stories, a podcast dedicated to those who have lived-experiences.

STROKE STORIES: There weren’t many resources that were available to help stroke survivors during their recovery. Also, once a stroke survivor is away from constant medical supervision, and their friends and family return to their normal, daily lives, it can be a lonely time. The podcast is there to fill in that gap: to give stroke survivors an opportunity to tell their story in their own words, and in doing so providing insight and support to other survivors.

WITH OVER 100,000 SUFFERING STROKES IN THE UK, IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT STROKE STORIES HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.

SS: The podcast is there as a resource for survivors and their families. Often, the stories will involve the guest telling us about their stroke and aftermath, the challenges that they faced while recovering, and their tips and advice that they pass on to other survivors. A universal theme from all of our stories is that sometimes getting your life back takes time but for most people, a rewarding and fulfilling life is very achievable. A stroke can be an incredibly isolating experience, and the feedback we’ve had suggests that having these stories readily available can help survivors realise that they aren’t alone in the world.

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE BE AWARE OF?

SS: Every 6 seconds, someone will suffer a stroke. That’s 15 million people every year, and roughly a third of those will die from their stroke. The majority of the rest will be left with disabilities that they will often carry with them for the rest of their life. Strokes can happen to anyone at any age. Because stroke is so widespread and can affect such a large cross section of the world’s population, we want to feature as many people from the widest possible range of ages, backgrounds, and locations.

LIKE MANY ILLNESSES AND PROBLEMS WITH HEALTH, STROKES ARE INDISCRIMINATE, THEY CAN IMPACT ANY OF US AT ANY TIME, THIS IS WHY STROKE STORIES IS KEEN TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND RAISE AWARENESS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS:

SS: The good news is there are things that we can do that can decrease risk: maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet. Keeping a check on the amount of alcohol we consume and the amount of exercise that we do, getting enough sleep at night, and managing your work/personal life properly to ensure that you aren’t consumed by stress.

AND DON’T FORGET THE SIMPLE THINGS TOO!

SS: Something else that is important is understanding how difficult life post-stroke can be for a survivor. If they are left with mobility, speech, or fatigue issues then they can often find themselves out of work and less able to navigate the day to day. If you know, or are related to a stroke survivor, then doing something as simple as sending a text or calling them up to check on how they can really make a difference in their recovery.

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Listen to Stroke Stories on ACAST, SPOTIFY and OTHER PLATFORMS. Read more Good Samaritan articles in the Pod Bible magazine, which you can read online or buy in our shop.