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Stroke Foundation

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Stroke Foundation

The Stroke Foundation partners with the community to prevent stroke, save lives and enhance recovery.
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We do this through raising awareness, facilitating research and supporting stroke survivors.

27/02/2026

Has StrokeLine (1800 787 653) supported you? We want to hear your story.
By sharing your experience, you can help us keep StrokeLine (1800 787 653) running - supporting countless people navigating life after stroke.
Every story counts. Every voice can make a real difference: https://forms.office.com/r/uWnJWFdBkV
Thanks in advance!

26/02/2026

By Jas

At 25, I was busy living my best life. Coastal town. Good mates. Working hard. Having fun.

Then, I had a stroke.

It started like any other day. I was at work, putting stock away, when I suddenly felt really faint. I remember thinking, “If I pass out back here, no one will find me for ages.” So, I stumbled toward the staff room entrance… and collapsed.

My colleagues found me and rushed me to the local hospital. I was told my balance issues were probably vertigo and sent home.

Spoiler: it was not vertigo.

That night I felt worse. I tried to stand up but couldn’t walk. I went back to the hospital.

While we were waiting to be seen, I kept getting worse. It felt like the paralysis was creeping through my body. First, I couldn’t walk. Then I couldn’t move my arms. My hands. Then I couldn’t talk.

I remember thinking, “What is happening to me?”

It took more than a day for doctors to diagnose the stroke. No one expects a 25-year-old to have one - but young people do.

I was transferred to a city hospital and placed on life support. The stroke left me with locked-in syndrome - a rare neurological condition where I was fully aware but couldn’t move or speak. The only thing I could control was my eyes.

I was completely paralysed.

And I was 25.

For three months, I lay in a hospital bed unable to move. I had a tracheostomy - my “tracky” - to help me breathe. I was terrified. I felt alone. I could hear everything around me, but I couldn’t tell anyone what I was thinking or feeling.

Eventually, after months of fighting, something changed.

My finger moved. Then a toe. Tiny movements that felt like climbing Everest. Slowly, with enormous effort, those movements grew stronger. My tracky was removed. I relearned how to swallow. Pureed food never tasted so good.

My voice was the very last thing to return. The first time I managed a garbled “hello,” it was the best sound I’d ever heard.

I spent another two months in hospital relearning how to walk, talk and eat. The everyday things most of us never think twice about, were my biggest achievements.

Fast forward to nearly ten years.

This is me now.

Living life with my whippet Penny. I’ve completed my Cert IV in Health. I box, and I lift pretty decent weights. I’m most proud of defying the odds stacked against me and continuously breaking down the barriers that say I can’t do something - or that I shouldn’t be able to do anything at all.

I have learned, to not be afraid to give things a go - it’s all anyone can do. Just make sure to learn, grow, and develop from the mistakes along the way.

When I woke up after my stroke, I was like a rag doll - completely still, now look at me!

Today, I am living my life on my terms.

25/02/2026

Have you or someone you know experienced emotional changes after a stroke, like sudden crying or laughing that doesn’t match how you feel? This is called emotional lability - and it's common after a stroke. It can affect people in different ways and is often uncontrollable. How do you explain this to others when it happens?

23/02/2026

Taylor shares her journey of life after stroke - relearning to move, speak, and process emotions, facing school and isolation, and finding her identity as a survivor. Her story is a powerful reminder that recovery isn’t just physical - it’s about rebuilding yourself, finding meaning, and embracing a life that’s still full and rewarding
https://young.strokefoundation.org.au/experiences/navigating-identity-after-stroke
Thank you for sharing Taylor.

22/02/2026

"There’s something incredibly powerful about walking back from Victoria Parliament after a meeting with childhood stroke survivor Tommy Quick and Victorian MPs - and then seeing a Mobile Stroke Unit drive past with its lights flashing.

It’s moments like that remind us why we do this work.

We’re incredibly proud to be part of the consortium that helped get these units on the road. Because we know what that vehicle represents - faster treatment, precious minutes saved, and a real chance to reduce brain damage.

Every second matters in a stroke. And that Mobile Stroke Unit is helping deliver life-saving treatment within the golden hour.

It’s more than a vehicle. It’s hope on the road.”

Hon Heidi Victoria, Government Relations Advisor and Dr Prema Thavaneswaran, Policy Advisor.

20/02/2026

"We’ve done the 4 Points.
We’ve done the 3 Points – Tassie.
Now we’re taking on the 2 Points.
This ride feels different. It’s not just about kilometres - it’s about advocacy.

We’re riding from Howlong to Canberra. And yes, the name feels fitting… How long do we have to wait for proper childhood stroke research?

I had my stroke when I was 12 years old.
It’s a day I will never forget.

In one moment, my life shifted. I went from being a ‘normal kid to living with a disability. I had to relearn, readjust, and rethink everything - school, friendships, sport, and what my future might look like.

That’s why I’m riding to Canberra.

I want federal politicians to know that kids have strokes.
I want childhood stroke on the national agenda.
I want it seen. I want it heard.

Because no child - and no family - should have to fight this hard just to be recognised.

This isn’t just a ride.
It’s a statement."
I leave on Sunday follow me here The 4 Points Australia - Tommy Quick

19/02/2026

Thank you 10 News and 9 News for shining a light on how stroke affects women. This was an important story to share with the community and we hope it has raised awareness of the risks of stroke in women and the unique challenges that women face.

We are thankful to our media friends for helping us raise awareness and would like to clarify that one of the news stories incorrectly attributed the research to Stroke Foundation.

To clarify, the data and research supporting this story was completed by various institutions and researchers from Australia and across the world and we thank them for the important work they do. In case you missed the stories, here they are.

19/02/2026

Thank you 10 News and 9 News for shining a light on how stroke affects women. This was an important story to share with the community and we hope it has raised awareness of the risks of stroke in women and the unique challenges that women face. We are thankful to our media friends for helping us raise awareness but would like to clarify that one of the news stories incorrectly attributed the research to Stroke Foundation. To clarify, the data and research supporting this story was completed by various institutions and researchers from Australia and across the world and we thank them for the important work they do. In case you missed the stories, here they are.

17/02/2026

If today feels heavy - if you're feeling flat, sad, or carrying grief - Nicole has a message for you.
We're not pretending this isn't incredibly hard. Some days are just that - hard.
There is a cheer squad right here in this community, standing beside you.
You're not walking this path alone. Others have been here before - every journey is different - and they're here to share their experiences and their hopes.
1800 787 653.

16/02/2026

Was your life saved by someone recognising the signs?
If it was, please help us to spread the awareness of these important signs far and wide.
We think Scotty's awesome dance moves could help the F.A.S.T. signs stick the minds of Aussies.
If his butt wiggle can help us - we're all in!
(Face droop, lift both Arms, Speech slurred, Time to call 000)

13/02/2026

At 24, Ernesto Diaz was living life to the fullest in West Melbourne - a self-described party boy with the world at his feet. But on a Valentine’s Day night in 2007, a stroke nearly changed everything.

Ernesto underwent a 13-hour lifesaving operation and spent two weeks in intensive care.

“Back then, I felt a bit untouchable,” he says. “I was smoking and drinking, and I’m sure that played a part in my stroke. I’m so grateful it happened when I was around people. My right arm was weak, my face drooped, and my speech slurred. If I’d been alone, I don’t think I’d be here today.”

Now 43, Ernesto is healthier than ever. This Valentine’s Day, he’ll be celebrating with his fiancé and his four-year-old son.

“I want to be here for every moment with my little one and watch him grow. I’m so grateful to be alive,” he says.

And he hasn’t forgotten the team at The Royal Melbourne Hospital

“I like to think Dr Laidlaw and the team gave me a whole new life - a chance at an extra 20 years with my family.”

Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

Address

461 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+611800787653

Website

http://www.strokefoundation.org.au/, https://informme.org.au/, https://young.strokefoundation.org.au/, https://enableme.

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