Watford stroke survivor 'thought I'd never walk again'

Scott Ferguson, 53, from Watford, suffered a stroke on Boxing Day in 2022 while on a family holiday in Spain.

The father-of-one was airlifted to Gran Canaria from Fuerteventura for immediate medical attention.

His stroke was later attributed to an undiagnosed patent foramen ovale, commonly known as a hole in the heart, which allowed a clot to reach his brain.

Recalling the ordeal, Scott said: "I remember thinking I was going to die.

"I was feeling really frightened and I just thought this must be it."

Around one in five stroke survivors in the East of England say that talking to other stroke survivors was the single most important part of their recovery (Image: Stroke Association) The stroke left Scott, who has been a chef at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital for more than 12 years, with total left-sided paralysis and visual impairment in his left eye.

He said: "I couldn’t get myself out of bed, I couldn’t walk, dress or wash myself."

Scott spent six weeks recovering in Spain before he was eventually flown back to Watford General Hospital with a medical escort and was discharged after three days in hospital.

He was highly motivated in his rehabilitation, attending swimming classes at South Oxhey and working with a physiotherapist.

He said: "Swimming has become a big part of my life.

"I really do believe that if I'd not had these swimming classes, I'd still be sat in my bed with limited movement."

Scott says the stroke has snatched away precious milestone family moments which many parents can take for granted (Image: Stroke Association) However, his recovery journey has not been without setbacks.

He had a seizure in June while on a bus to his swimming lesson, which led to him being diagnosed with epilepsy.

Despite this, Scott is determined to continue his recovery journey and has even returned to work on a phased basis.

He said: "I never thought I would have a stroke.

"I was a healthy and fit 51-year-old.

"A stroke can come at any time, to anyone - I hope by sharing my story more people can be aware of the condition and understand just how difficult recovery can be."

Scott's story coincides with the Stroke Association's campaign for World Stroke Day on Tuesday, October 29.

The UK's leading stroke charity is aiming to highlight the importance of communication in recovery as their research showed talking to fellow stroke survivors was found to be one of the most important parts of recovery.