Young survivor inviting all to join fun ‘Stride4Stroke’

The former De La Salle Revesby student was feeling dizzy the night before but put it down to a migraine which he’d contended with before.
Imagine his surprise when the hospital confirmed that not only had he had a Stroke but a whole in his heart which wasn’t helping.
On the road to recovery but with numbness on his right side still, Ryan is back at work but making an extra effort to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Since the Stroke, he now also has to deal with nerve pain and trying different medication to see which is effective.
“I’ve been really trying to push my recovery and was surprised to learn that people having Strokes under 35 years is not as rare as you think,” he said.
“More research is being done and needs to be done to work out the exact causes and possible cures so people don’t have to go through this but I realise I am one of the lucky ones.”
With this in mind, Ryan is taking part in Stride4Stroke next month and is calling on Stroke survivors to join him on a cycle, walk or gentle run at the Wanda Service Trail in Cronulla on November 25.
With 70 already registered to take part, he is hoping to get at least 100 participants to tackle the 5km trail with the goal of raising $15,000 to $20,000.
“I’ve already raised $5,000 so far on my own and will be charging participants $150 which includes the entry fee, raffle ticket and singlet,” he said.
“We’ll have a nutrition station and a coffee truck in attendance, with about 16 businesses donating prizes for the raffle; it’s going to be fun, community day out and all for a great cause.”
Register at stride4stroke.org.au/join/ParagonSquad.