Isle of Wight stroke survivor fears cuts to vital aftercare service

Musician Chris Messer and his wife are among more than 3,000 people who have been supported by the Stroke Association’s service, which is funded by the Isle of Wight Council.

But budget cuts being discussed by the council’s cabinet on Thursday, February 9, could see the charity’s funding reduced, or even withdrawn completely.

This is despite the number of people living with the lasting effects of a stroke on the Isle of Wight being 50 per cent higher than the national average.

Chris, 70, said support from the Stroke Association was invaluable, both to him and his wife, Joeley, as he struggled to rebuild his life after a stroke in 2020.

It took musician Chris Messer two years to relearn how to play his guitar. (Image: Island Stroke Association.)

“I was recording an album at home, making a cup of tea for Joeley and suddenly the world started going weird,” said Chris.

“I felt very strange, disoriented, and after calling upstairs I threw one of the mugs of tea at the wall to get her attention.

“That’s all I remember. After that, it was all ambulance crews and hospital.”

Chris praised the treatment at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport, but says once he was allowed home, he and his wife would have had difficulty coping without the support they received from the Stroke Association.

The charity’s stroke support coordinators were able to help Chris and Joeley with information on his fatigue and headaches after stroke, his diabetes, problems with memory and thinking, as well as practical things such as driving after a stroke and where to go for help with benefits and financial assistance.

Chris, whose mother-in-law Barbara died after a stroke, had been a professional musician for many years, playing everything from country to rock, but found to his horror that he couldn’t remember how to play the guitar.

“I knew what a guitar was, but couldn’t remember how to play it,” said Chris.

“The Stroke Association and my wife encouraged me to learn everything again.

“They also introduced me to the stroke group, which helped me get back into a community.

“If the Stroke Association support service is cut, I would say: Don’t have a stroke on the Isle of Wight, because you’ll get no support.

“You’ll have nowhere to go. It would be devastating.

“You have a massive stroke, you go through the hospital, have a bit of physiotherapy and then you’re released and you’re lost.

“You don’t know what the next step is without the Stroke Association.”

Almost 4,000 people living on the Isle of Wight are recorded by their GPs as having had a stroke.

Jacqui Cuthbert for the charity said the service, which is made possible by the £70,000 funding from the council, is a vital lifeline for stroke survivors as they struggle to cope after leaving hospital.

“Every stroke survivor treated by St Mary’s Hospital is currently referred to the service and every single one is offered support," said Jacqui.

"Last year, this was more than 300 people.

“We understand the financial pressures that the council is facing but the service is cost-effective and is simply invaluable for the hundreds of stroke survivors and carers we support every year.”