Margret G Sigurdardottir from Iceland is a carer. Since her husband's stroke she has worked to inform herself and others of the importance of stroke prevention.
Before the stroke did you have any
idea that your loved one was at risk of stroke?
My husband had a stroke twelve years ago and was completely
paralyzed on the right side. I had no idea before this shock, that he was in any risk category.
When and how did you realise that your husband was having a stroke?
When he
was going to swim one morning, he did not fell well and he thought he had a
flu. But I noticed that he was not normal and I saw that he was all pink and
the sweat popped from him, then I called the emergency line.
Can you tell us a bit about your lives before and after stroke?
We have
lived together for more than 20 years and we have one son. I myself are in good
health. I am in permanent employment, a deputy head of a large transport
company and he in the public sector. We
are financially secure, but the stroke came like a thunderstorm, but
fortunately, it did not hurt our family life very much.
Since my husband's stroke, I have
studied better the risk factors of stroke for myself, following my experience
of my husband and warning others of risks.
What steps do you take now to
prevent stroke? How are you working to reduce your specific risks?
I have
set my boundaries to raise more awareness of my colleagues and partners on the
risk of stroke.
What would you say to other people
to make them take stroke prevention seriously?
You can replace almost all organs throughout your body, but there is nothing you can do if your
brain collapses!
What is your main reason for
raising awareness of stroke prevention?
Major consequences of stroke in the community.
Save money so they can be used to those who need them most!
