Milton Keynes teen suffers stroke a week before his 18th leaving him unable to walk and talk

  • Watch a video report by ITV News Anglia's Stuart Leithes

A teenager who suffered a stroke a week before his 18th birthday has spoken about the turmoil of the condition that left him unable to walk or talk.

Jack McNeill, now 20, from Milton Keynes, woke up one morning with a headache so painful that he struggled to do anything.

His mum, Angela Evans, called 111 and when paramedics arrived they decided to take him to A&E.

She said: "Doctors told us Jack was experiencing a tension headache, and advised he went back home, took some painkillers and got lots of rest."

Feeling relieved, Mr McNeill took some paracetamol and got into bed.

"Not long after Jack had gone to bed I heard a loud thud come from his bedroom, I rushed in to find him on the floor unable to walk or talk. I quickly dialled 999," said Mrs Evans.

At hospital, Jack had an MRI scan of his brain and this is when the doctors realised he had had a major stroke.

Jack and his mum Angela are now trying to raise awareness for the condition.

It left Mr McNeill with such severe left-sided weakness that doctors did not think he would be able to walk again.

Mr McNeill spent 12 weeks in the hospital and then three months in Grafton Manor Head Injury and Rehabilitation Unit recovering from the stroke.

He built enough strength back to be able to walk again with a split on his foot.

Mr McNeill said: "Lying in my hospital bed on the stroke ward full of elderly patients, I had to ask my mum if it was true; 'had I really had a stroke?'.

"It just didn't seem right - I was only 18 years old, and everyone around was so old.

"I had heard about strokes from mum's work but had no idea it could happen to young people, and definitely didn't expect that I'd have one."

Medical professionals are still unsure to why Mr McNeill had a stroke.

According to the Stroke Association over half of teenagers are unaware of the FAST (Face Arm Speech Time) acronym. Credit: Family photo

Mr McNeill is hoping that sharing his story will remind others to look out for symptoms.

"It has been a long road to recovery and I'm still living with the effects of my stroke every day.

"I hope to raise awareness to other young people by sharing my story" he said.

Symptoms of a stroke include:

  • Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, including legs, hands or feet.

  • Difficulty finding words or speaking in clear sentences.

  • Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes. 

  • Sudden memory loss or confusion, and dizziness or a sudden fall. 

  • A sudden, severe headache.  

You can identify if someone is having a stroke by using the FAST Test:

  • Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? 

  • Arms – can they raise both their arms and keep them there? 

  • Speech – is their speech slurred? 

  • Time – time to call 999 if you spot any of these signs  

More information and support can be found here.

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving thousands of stroke survivors with complex and severe disability.

"We’ve seen impressive results from previous Act FAST campaigns. 

"These survey statistics show just how important it is that we continue to raise awareness of the symptoms of stroke, particularly amongst a younger audience – it’s worrying that so few know the signs or what to do if stroke strikes."

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