How a brave Co Down woman fought her way back from a devastating stroke at the age of 30 to walk down the aisle
Meet the brave Co Down woman who fought her way back from a life-threatening stroke at the young age of 30 to walk down the aisle with her beloved.
Gillian McCracken, from Blackskull near Dromore, spent weeks in a coma, followed by months of gruelling rehab and was even forced to live in a care home for some time as there wasn’t a care package in place on her discharge from hospital.
She didn’t set foot in her own home for more than a year after her stroke, and had to relearn how to walk. She credits her positive attitude, faith and the help of an NI Chest, Heart and Stroke (NICHS) rehab team with her recovery, to the point where this summer she was able to walk down the aisle to marry partner Gordon.
“I’ve even got back to my passion for baking, making treats for my church coffee shop,” she says. “My days are full, and I never think there's anything I can’t do; it’s only the question of how I can find a way to do it.”
Her life is a far cry from the start of June 2021. Suffering a severe headache, Gillian collapsed and was rushed to hospital in Belfast; she’d suffered a massive stroke caused by a previously unknown condition she was born with, an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain that had burst without warning.
Hours of surgery were followed by weeks comatose, during which doctors even talked about switching off life support. When she finally regained consciousness, Gillian says, she “woke up to a nightmare”.
“The impact of the stroke was massive,” she states. “I couldn’t speak or eat at all and, as I’d had a tracheotomy, I’d lost the ability to swallow. I had to relearn almost everything, including how to walk.
"Before my stroke, I was working for a mortgage broker, dealing with paperwork, but now I had to relearn how to even use a keyboard. I’ve always been an independent and hardworking person, and never would have pictured myself in a position where I would struggle to do things for myself.”
Back home at the end of June 2022, she was still dependent on a wheelchair, and struggling with speech and fatigue. That’s when she started working with NICHS on a rehab programme, and credits their inspirational expertise and friendship with helping her rebuild.
Says Gillian: “Slowly, things changed, and moments of hope began to reappear. At first, I had to be lifted into the car; now, I can get in myself. When I walked into the NICHS group with my rollator for the first time, everyone cheered. That encouragement meant the world to me.
“The best moment of all was on July 25 this year, when I married my wonderful partner Gordon and had the strength to walk down the aisle. I planned it all myself and it was a beautiful day from start to finish.
“In our darkest days, Gordon was there next to me in hospital while I was deep in a coma, when I was pushing myself through gruelling rehab, when I was counting the days until I could go home. Today we are looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas as husband and wife, and the future looks brighter.”