‘My son lived for football. He may never play again after stroke at 17’

 
“Devastating” impact: Jac Rush after his stroke. He can walk only a few steps and his speech is limited
Sophie Goodchild5 February 2015

A father whose footballer son suffered a stroke aged only 17 has called for more support for young victims.

Rob Rush said his son Jac may never play football again after falling ill two months ago. He revealed the teenager had dreams of joining a professional team before his stroke.

Now Mr Rush, a 45-year-old warehouse manager from Hanworth, wants to raise awareness to help give young stroke victims such as Jac a better chance of recovery.

He said: “Words can’t explain how devastating the stroke has been for Rob and our family — he lived for football.

“It’s important that people realise strokes don’t affect just over-thirties — they affect young people too.

“Doctors need to be aware and there needs to be the right level of support so people like Jac have the best chance of recovering.”

Around one in 150 strokes in the UK occur in people under 20 years old, according to the Stroke Association. However, there is limited public awareness of the plight of young victims, and the impact on the child and family is often hidden.

In Jac’s case, he complained to his father and mother Joanne, 37, of a painful headache in December.

The next morning his parents found him floppy and unconscious in bed.

The emergency services suggested it was a fit. Paramedics eventually arrived an hour and 40 minutes later and immediately realised Jac had suffered a stroke.

The teenager was taken to Charing Cross Hospital, where doctors removed part of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain.

Jac, who played in the academy team at AFC Hayes and was set to play for the first 11, is still in hospital. He can walk only a few steps and his speech is very limited.

Mr Rush is competing in the 10km Resolution Run in Hyde Park in March to raise awareness and funds for the Stroke Association. Over the past 20 years the number of strokes affecting people aged 20 to 64 has jumped by a quarter to make up 31 per cent of the worldwide total, according to a Global Burden of Disease study.

Health experts described the findings as a “wake-up call to governments”.

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