Jennie Wallace, from Belfast, suffered an unexpected stroke in February last year at just 41 years old. Jennie’s life changed overnight but thanks to her determination and hard work, Jennie recovered well and wanted to use what happened to her for something positive. Jennie recently organised a fire walk fundraiser in aid of local charity, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, who helped Jennie on her post-stroke recovery journey. The event raised an incredible £18,265 as well as much needed awareness of young stroke.
Jennie explains; “I had my stroke on 15th February 2023. It was just a very normal day. I was in the shower when I felt funny, and my balance went. I called my husband, Jonathan, because I knew something wasn't right, and he came up and got me out of the shower. I was lying on the floor vomiting, and I couldn't open my eyes. He called an ambulance, and paramedics came. I didn't really have the typical stroke symptoms, but they seemed to realise quickly what was happening. I was taken by ambulance to the Ulster Hospital and received the clot busting drug Thrombolysis.”
“I was then taken in another ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital for a Thrombectomy which is a procedure to remove blood clots and help restore blood flow to the brain. I was in the Royal for around ten days. Then I came home and started rebuilding my life.”
Being just 41 years old, a busy mum to a young daughter, and the owner of Beyond Skin Clinic in Belfast, Jennie was used to always being on the go and found the impact of her stroke difficult to cope with. Jennie says, “I had to learn how to walk again and needed a stick. My left arm and shoulder were badly affected. I was impacted cognitively too, and my processing skills were slower.”
“The fatigue was a killer. There were things I thought I could do, but then I would be knocked out for three days in bed. It was so hard when my daughter Cleo was asking me, ‘Mummy can we go for a walk’, and I had to say, ‘I'm really sorry, I can’t, my legs are too tired’. That was awful and I hated it.”
Jennie was determined to recover and set about researching what support was available for stroke survivors post their statutory rehab, which is when she came across Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS). Jennie recalls; “I went along to NICHS’s Post Rehab Exercise Programme (PREP) group at Lisnasharragh for the physical rehab side of things. PREP is a physiotherapy led, community-based course which focuses on exercise and education, and I found it to be really useful.”
“When I first went, I was really quite low, and my physical side hadn’t really come on a lot. The NICHS staff were kind, helpful and so encouraging. I was putting in the work and seeing improvements, and by the end of it, my walking had improved so much, my posture improved, my attitude improved. It was definitely the best thing I did in terms of rehab.”
Jennie found the help and support she received from NICHS so great she was keen to give something back to the charity. “I've always wanted to do a fire walk. After I learnt to walk again following my stroke, I really wanted to do something to support NICHS and the idea of, now that I've learnt to walk, I’m going to learn to walk on fire, just seemed really cool to me!”
“I started talking to people about the idea and some thought I was mad! Obviously, I didn’t know how to walk on fire so I looked for someone who could support me from a logistical point of view. I found Lottie Moore from Wild Soul who trains people on how to be fire walk instructors. I told her my story and she was really interested. She explained she doesn't normally do this kind of thing, but because it was for charity and because of my story, she agreed to get involved. Lottie then asked Lynda Emmett, a fire walk organiser and emotional health coach, to support her with the logistical side of running the event.”
“I have quite a large network of business contacts and I started reaching out to them, asking if they would like to send a team to do the fire walk as a team building exercise and quite a few jumped at the chance. It was great to see so many local businesses like Lunns, Belfast Pilates, Cutting Industries and Generation Women support me. RNN Communications offered support on the PR side of things to raise awareness and my friend, Gerardette McGivern from Happy Feet Podiatry, kindly offered her venue for the event. Before I knew it, I had 70 people signed up for the event!”
Talking about the fire walk, Jennie says, “I was the first person to the walk on the night- everybody was chanting for me to do it! Lottie and Lynda took us through a number of motivational sessions to prepare. Lottie had songs and actions to get us all fired up and motivated and the energy levels were really high.”
“When it was time for me to step onto the coals, I sort of looked down and thought, ‘wow, I actually have to do this now!’ I had been so busy with all the organisation, I hadn't really thought about the actual walking on fire bit and being the first person to do it! In that instant, I suddenly thought about what I was doing and then said to myself ‘don’t think about it, just do it!’ It was amazing. People ask if I felt anything, but I honestly didn’t.”
“After I did it, I felt amazing. I have been walking with a stick since my stroke but that was the first day in over a year that I didn't use it. I walked across without my stick and was really proud of myself. To have come that far, from not being able to walk, to walking on fire was such an achievement.”
It wasn’t just Jennie who felt a sense of achievement as she explains; “Everyone else loved it too with most people doing it two or three times. There was a real feeling of elation and a sense of accomplishment when we all did it. It was really powerful.”
“There were other stroke survivors there and it was amazing to be able to provide that opportunity for them too. One girl travelled on her own on the bus from Derry and that was the first time she had done that since her stroke. She had reached out to me beforehand and I was delighted she came. It was a big deal for her to do all that and I was so proud of her. For me, I felt like, if she was the only person that benefited from the event, it was worth it.”
Jennie also draws a parallel between the event and the support offered by NICHS, saying, “Everybody was cheering and encouraging each other and that was very in line with how things are at the PREP groups. Just like at PREP, we were only in competition with ourselves and were willing everyone on to do their own best. At the PREP groups everybody’s situation is different, but everyone is pulling towards the same goal and that's really what it was like at the fire walk too.”
The event was a huge success, raising a phenomenal £18,265 for the charity. Jennie comments; “I am delighted to have raised so much money for NICHS to help them continue to support local people affected by devastating health conditions. When I initially came up with the concept, my goal was to raise £5,000 and that was me being ambitious!”
“I couldn't have done it without those other 70 people so I would like to thank them for all their efforts. I am very grateful to the other businesses that supported me too. I would also like to acknowledge the generosity of Happy Feet Podiatry because Gerardette was a real key partner in terms of making the event happen. It really was a team effort and just an incredible experience for all involved.”
It is not just funds that have been raised through all Jennie’s efforts however, it is also stroke awareness. Jennie explains; “The week before the fire walk, it was quite overwhelming as so many of my friends were posting on social media about the fact that they were going to do the event for me. It was very emotional to read all their thoughts and stories talking about how much they wanted to support me after what I have been through. I think it is because I am in my early 40s and no one would have expected me to have a stroke. That helped raise a lot of awareness of young stroke and that is great.”
“In my case, I had no underlying health issues- no diabetes, no high blood pressure, nothing. I’m not a smoker, I don’t drink excessively, I’m not a drug taker. Stroke and other kinds of illnesses were just not on my radar. Even when my stroke was happening, I didn't know what it was. It was only after I woke up post-surgery and noticed a sign on the wall saying, ‘Stroke Ward’ and I thought, ‘What? Have I had a stroke?!’ I want to make people aware a stroke can happen to anyone, at any age.”
Jennie concludes; “It is important for me to share my story and I have been talking about recovery and things a little bit on social media to my networks because people are coming back and thanking me for sharing and they are interested in my recovery. I think because of my age and the fact I had no warning signs people are interested. I feel like I have an obligation to share story and if it helps others that’s great.”
Gavin Adams, Director of Income Generation at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke says; “We are so grateful to Jennie for raising this phenomenal amount of money for our charity. We are also thankful to Jennie for sharing her story and raising awareness of young stroke. People may be surprised to learn that 50% of stroke survivors in Northern Ireland are under 75.”
“As Jennie’s story shows, the impact of stroke can be devastating - but NICHS is here to help with expert care and support. The help available from our Care Services team is extensive and available all across Northern Ireland. Alongside PREP, we offer family support, health education programmes, Wellness Sessions, a Return to Work programme and emotional support. But we rely on the public’s generous support to do all this.”
“Almost 90% of our income comes from public donations so fundraising efforts like Jennie’s, and all those who involved with the fire walk, are vital for our charity and what we can achieve. This is an incredible gift towards our work, and it will go a long way in enabling us to continue to support the local community and provide life-changing services.
“Thank you again to Jennie and everyone involved for their tremendous efforts on our behalf and all those who donated.”
To find out more about the ways you can support Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke visit, https://nichs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/fundraise
