Loralei Hurd

My name is Loralei, I'm 18 now and I had a stroke when I was 8 after falling off a tricycle at school in California and hitting my head. The stroke happened about eight hours after the accident; I had a sudden blinding headache and needed to go to the toilet. My mother took me and I collapsed on the floor in the loo. My father put me in the car and rushed me to the hospital. The doctors didn't seem to know what to do with me. I couldn't talk or walk or use my right arm or leg and after a CAT scan I was admitted. but it was a couple of days before they said they thought I'd had a stroke. This was confirmed by an MRI scan a couple of weeks later. One of the worst things in hospital was not being able to talk.

I remember trying to tell them what I wanted and being very frustrated, when my father gave me a pad to write down what I wanted I was delighted, I was a good writer and had been put into the "Gifted and Talented" program at school but when I tried to write all my letters were jumbled up. That was very frightening as well as frustrating. My aunt came up with the idea of a picture board and that really helped.

I went home after about four days and had to go back to see the neurologist and the paediatrician many times. The neurologist seemed to think the accident had nothing to do with the stroke and wanted to do an arteriogram to look at my carotid artery and possibly cut my carotid artery open to see if it was furred up. I found this very frightening but my parents wouldn't agree to let him do these procedures unless he could explain why he didn't think the accident was relevant. He couldn't and after that he pretty much left me to the paediatrician.

Within a week I was able to walk and I started talking again after a couple of weeks although my speech was slurred and my face drooped. My right hand and arm were pretty much useless but that wasn't too much of a problem as I was left-handed.

About a month after the stroke I went back to school and that was the worst day of my life. I suddenly found that from being at the top of my class in every subject I was unable to write a simple sentence or to add 2 + 2. The doctors hadn't prepared me for this and I was devastated. The school district was very good and moved me to a school where I got speech therapy and extra help but going from being "Gifted and Talented" to "Special Educational Needs" was very hard. I was assessed for physiotherapy and occupational therapy but I was told that I wasn't bad enough to get any help and that things would get better by themselves.

About a year after the stroke we moved back to England where my father is from and that was also quite difficult. I got some help in my new school but not as much and I hated it. I got bullied and called names by some of the kids because I had an American accent and because I limped and had a "funny arm". I had to see a paediatrician at the local hospital and was again assessed for occupational therapy but they couldn't think of any ways to help me and anyway they only had limited resources and I wasn't bad enough to get help. Although my parents asked every time we saw the paediatrician I never did get assessed for physiotherapy.

I struggled through school and eventually left with five GCSEs at grade C and above which was quite an achievement for me. My right arm was still pretty much useless, my hand tended to grab hold of things and not be able to let go which could be embarrassing when shaking hands with people and dangerous if I took hold of an escalator rail. Once on the school bus I missed my stop because my hand would not release from the rail coming down the stairs.

I saw no possibility of improvement in this situation until last year when I wanted to apply for my driver's license. My father took me to see my GP and he referred me to see the consultant at the Lincoln Stroke Rehabilitation Clinic. There I was assessed by Dr McClement who suggested that treatment with Botulinum Toxin might help relieve the spasticity in my arm and hand. Botulinum Toxin is a very highly diluted form of the deadly botulism poison and is injected into the affected muscles to prevent them going into spasm. It has been used for about twenty years to treat some illnesses but has only been used for about the last 5 years to treat stroke patients. It is not a common treatment and because of the cost is not popular with the NHS. I received my first injections in June of last year and the results were evident within about two days. My hand started to relax and with physio I was soon able to learn to move my fingers individually.

By this time I was working as an assistant in a clothing store to earn money to pay for college and the difference it made to me was incredible. Several times I cried with happiness at being able to do things most people take for granted. The injections start to wear off after about two to three months and have to be repeated at regular intervals. Last time they gave me a bit too much and my hand was "floppy" instead of cramped up, but that wore off after a month. It is hoped that eventually my hand and arm will be able to "learn" new patterns and lose the bad habits they picked up during the last ten years. Last time I also had an injection in my right leg as well and that has helped too, my toes don't cramp up in my shoes now and walking and standing for long periods is a lot easier. Try walking around with your toes scrunched up in your shoes for a while and you'll understand how good it feels when that doesn't happen!

Otherwise things are going very well for me now, I have been accepted onto a one year course at a Bible College for an 'A' level in practical ministry and if I am able to keep up with the course work I may be able to go on to study for a degree. It has been very hard for me sometimes over the past few years but I have come through it with God's help and would like to offer encouragement to other young people who have had strokes.

You can contact me through my father on e-mail at markahurd@hotmail.com I would be happy to talk to fellow child stroke survivors.

Message from Loralei's Father (12-04-04)
Lora completed her 'A' level equivalent course last July ('02) and came out as a qualified youth worker with NVQ level 3. Like the glutton for punishment she is, she's back in college this year ('03) doing her Certificate in Applied Theology course. If she decides to continue next year will be the Diploma... (Or is it the Dip then the Cert?)... then the degree. She's taking it a year at a time, it's hard work but she's getting there.

Thanks to Loralei for sending in her profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

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