Amazing recovery of woman who woke from stroke thinking it was 1998

Stevie Carver, 38, from Kings Lynn, who survived a stroke. Picture: Stevie Carver (Image: Stevie Carver)

Stevie Carver from King’s Lynn collapsed after leaving work in February 2018. The mum-of-two said the pain was like being stabbed in the head.

Her partner, who was driving, called an ambulance and doctors confirmed Miss Carver had a major bleed on her brain when they reached hospital. They gave her a 2pc chance of survival.

After an emergency operation, she was in a coma for more than a week.

“When I had my stroke, it felt like someone was stabbing me in the head,” said Miss Carver, now 38. “I’ve never felt pain like it and that’s the last thing I can remember.”

Stevie Carver, 38, from Kings Lynn, who survived a stroke. Picture: Stevie Carver (Image: Stevie Carver)

When she woke up, she had no idea where she was and didn’t even recognise her own son.

“I thought it was 1998 for some reason,” she said. “I thought I’d been kidnapped and was being experimented on, so I was trying to pull the tubes out of my body. I refused to cooperate with the doctors or my own family. I recognised my daughter but I was shouting at my son: ‘You’re not my son, I don’t know you.”

Miss Carver has had to learn to walk, talk and read again.

“I was beyond devastated after my stroke and I thought my life was over,” she said. “I would just lie there in the hospital bed sobbing but then one day I decided I want my life back.”

Stevie Carver, 38, from Kings Lynn, who survived a stroke. Picture: Stevie Carver (Image: Stevie Carver)

Charity the Stroke Association has launched a Hope After Stroke campaign to hightlight the importance hope plays in recovery. It fears too many survivors are told their recoveries will be limited, leaving them despairing for their futures.

Marion Walker, emeritus professor of stroke rehabilitation at the University of Nottingham, said: “The quickest recovery takes place in the days and weeks after a stroke. But recovery can continue for months and years after a stroke. Whilst it is important to be honest with stroke survivors, we need to ensure that we are presenting them with the facts to ensure they maximise their recovery.

“Despair may seem like a natural reaction to the stroke but it is so important that we as professionals work with our patients to show them that a meaningful and full life is possible. Keeping a positive attitude will most definitely enhance the recovery journey.”