A fit and healthy 22-year-old business owner was left paralysed and able only to blink after suffering a shock stroke, moments after complaining of a pounding headache. Saskia Bishop was visiting her grandmother on April 21 when she experienced a sharp pain in her head.
She went to lie down but suddenly lost her speech and became paralysed, communicating only by blinking. Her family rushed her to A&E, where doctors discovered a large blood clot on her brain that had caused a stroke. Saskia was transferred to intensive care, and further tests revealed she had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – a rare tangle of blood vessels in the brain.
Saskia underwent a seven-hour craniotomy to remove the AVM and the surrounding blood clot. After losing her speech for two weeks, she has made a significant recovery but continues to suffer from fatigue and mobility issues. She still experiences shooting pains in her head and numbness.
Speaking about her ordeal, Saskia said: 'I had absolutely no symptoms or changes in my health. There was literally nothing to suggest it was going to happen until the day that it happened. I had just arrived at my grandma's and got a blistering pain in my head.' She added: 'I'm kind of lucky I had it when I did because the recovery is so much easier when you're younger. I would say to other people your age doesn't protect you from anything so listen to your body.'
