A STROKE caused him to crash his car and left him unable to speak. But now Harold Conqueror, 81, dedicates himself to helping other stroke survivors in their recovery.

In 2004, Harold, from Romsey, was driving with his wife, Barbara when he had a stroke and crashed his car.

Harold described the terrifying moments when a stroke hit as he was behind the wheel and lost control of the vehicle.

“We were driving in Bristol and my son and his family were in the car behind," said Harold.

"I remember having a strange feeling come over me – it’s really hard to explain, I felt in control but something just wasn’t right.

"My driving soon became erratic, and as Barbara was asking me if I was OK I couldn’t respond.

"My foot was pressed down on the escalator, and Barbara got increasingly worried.

"She managed to grab the steering wheel and take us off the road. We went into a grass verge and the car flipped on its side.

"My son and other local residents who saw the crash managed to pull my wife out of the car first, and then they were able to get to me.

"When the paramedics arrived they confirmed I’d had a stroke straight away and Barbara had broken her collarbone in the accident.

"We were both rushed to hospital.”

The stroke left Harold with a speech condition called aphasia.

“For the first couple of weeks I struggled to speak, but I felt determined to get better," said Harold.

"I was so focussed on speaking again, I knew I could do it.

"After I left hospital I joined the Totton Stroke Association Voluntary Group to get support with my speech.

"I had already made a good improvement in two weeks, but I didn’t want to stop practising.

"The Stroke Association group was vital in my recovery."

Harold explained that his recovery was down to hard work and perseverance.

“Recovery doesn’t just happen overnight, and without the Stroke Association’s group I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to practice and improve my speech" he said.

Harold is now using his own experiences to help other stroke survivors.

"It's 14 years later and I’m still at the group," he said.

"I now volunteer to help other stroke survivors who come through the door with their recovery.

"When others may give up on you, the Stroke Association is always there; they believe in you.

"That’s why I’m so thankful for all they’ve done for me, and others in the community.

“Many stroke survivors can leave hospital and not have anyone to speak to," he added.

"When you have aphasia, it’s so important to keep speaking as much as you can, to practice conversation. The Totton Stroke Association Voluntary Group gives you a chance to meet other stroke survivors, and join in on a conversation.”

Esme Mutter, Head of Stroke Support at the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke has a massive and sudden impact. People’s lives are changed forever, not just for the stroke survivor, but for their family and friends as well. The Totton Stroke Association Voluntary Group helps people affected by stroke to rebuild their lives.

“Being able to speak again, return to work, maintaining independence and relationships is vitally important for the person to feel like they are heading back to a place of normality.

"It is also important in helping people to adapt to and accept a new way of life and participate in new activities which is key to recovery. Without the incredible support from our team of volunteers like Harold, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

"We’re so grateful to Harold’s hard work with the group, he helps to motivate and encourage other stroke survivors on a weekly basis.”

* The Totton Stroke Association Voluntary Group meets at Totton and Eling Community Centre, every Wednesday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. To find out more about the group, or to volunteer your time to helping local stroke survivors in Hampshire, please get in touch with Carly Davey on Carly.Davey@stroke.org.uk or 07717 275850.

What is a stroke?

• A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.

• Stroke Association is a charity. They believe in life after stroke and work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. They campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. They fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk