Tim Jacobs, from Worcester, is sharing his experience as part of a national campaign by the Stroke Association ahead of World Stroke Day to raise awareness of stroke’s life-changing impact at any age.
He is backing the charity’s “Survival Is Not Enough” campaign.
Mr Jacobs said: “I had no idea what my future looked like.
“I lay in a hospital bed, unable to walk, unable to speak, unable to write.
“My dominant hand no longer worked.
“Words were trapped in my mind.
“It was horrible.”
HOPEFUL: Tim Jacobs, from Worcester, sits alongside his wife, Nadine. (Image: Tim Jacobs)
He suffered a large haemorrhagic stroke, a bleed on the brain, while in the Netherlands visiting family for his birthday.
He spent nine days in intensive care and a further nine days on a neurology ward.
He developed aphasia, a language disorder, and later apraxia, which still affects his speech.
Mr Jacobs said: “My thoughts are clear, but my speech is out of sync.
“It’s slow. It’s hard.”
He stayed in the Netherlands for rehabilitation after the stroke, determined to recover as much as possible.
Three months later, his wife Nadine and their children had to return to the UK.
Mr Jacobs said: “That was one of the hardest moments.
“Not knowing when I’d see them again, but I knew why I was doing it.
“I had to get better.”
Seven months after his stroke, he finally returned home.
However, the 38-year-old is still recovering and has shared dreams of one day being able to tie his hair up again.
Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “A stroke is a devastating brain injury, leaving behind life-changing trauma.
“In an instant, a stroke can steal away the things that many of us take for granted, such as walking, talking, eating and living independently; the things that make you, you.”
The Stroke Association’s “Survival is Not Enough” campaign aims to drive awareness of the impact of stroke.
It also supports the Channel 4 documentary series “Trauma: My Broken Brain,” which follows the lives of three young adults recovering from a stroke.