The daughter of a Sudbury woman who suffered a massive stroke on holiday in Greece will run the London Marathon to say thank you to the charity which helped her mum.
Annelie Bartlett will tackle the 26.2-mile course in the capital on April 28 to raise money for the Stroke Association after her mum Beryl was left paralysed and unable to walk and talk in July 2017.
The 66-year-old remained in Greece for three months before she was fit enough to fly back to the UK, and has been cared for by her husband Ron and supported by the charity.
Annelie, who lives in Witham, Essex, said: “My beautiful mum suffered a massive stroke whilst out in Greece. Being on an island in a remote location, the ambulance did not get to her for some time and by then damage was being done.
“The stroke left her paralysed on her entire right-hand side and unable to walk or talk. She remained in Greece until October when she was only just fit enough to fly home.
“Mum is now learning to walk and talk again and her strength and bravery is endless. My dad Ron has been doctor, nurse, physio and chef and has done a fantastic job looking after her. His love for mum is endless and love really does conquer all.
“I always remember seeing the adverts on television for recognising the signs of stroke. Never in a million years would I think that this would happen to anyone I know, let alone my mum.”
Annelie has set herself a fundraising target of £2,000 and wants other stroke patients to benefit from the same help her mum received.
“After all they’ve been through, the least I can do is to haul myself around a marathon and raise some money for the Stroke Association so they can continue the fantastic work and support that they give to survivors of stroke,” she said.
“I’ve never ever been a runner so when the going gets tough I just think of the hard work mum has had to go through to get back in her feet.
“I’m not going to be breaking any records but if I can just complete the marathon, I would be overjoyed.”
George Burroughs, community and events fundraising manager at the Stroke Association, said: “There are around 100,000 strokes every year in the UK and 1.2 million people in the UK are living with the devastating impact of stroke.
“We’re so grateful to Annelie for taking on this famous challenge to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association and we’ll be cheering her on all the way to the finish line.”
To sponsor Annelie, click here and search Annelie Bartlett.
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