Jersey ultra-marathon runner saved due to FAST actions of partner after suffering stroke during race
"I couldn't speak. I didn't know where I was" - Wayne English explains the moment he collapsed
A Jersey ultra-marathon runner who fell seriously ill during a race is urging others to learn about the signs of a stroke.
Wayne English was just 200 metres from the finish line of a 5km run in St Helier last August when he collapsed.
He said: "I had a good race, really felt good and I was just coming back along the pier when I had blurred vision.
"I couldn't move my right arm or my right leg and I couldn't speak. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what was happening to me.
"It felt like a curtain dropping over me, like the finale in a West End musical."
Wayne's partner Emily Le Beuvant was also taking part in the race and immediately recognised the symptoms from a TV advert after noticing his face had slumped to one side.
She said: "Straight away I knew that it was something serious.
"My head was saying to me, 'he's having a stroke' but my heart was like, 'no, he can't be'."
Wayne was flown to Southampton for emergency thrombectomy surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain - an operation where quick action can be critical.
The procedure was successful and Wayne is now recovering at home having learned to speak again.
The FAST signs to spot a stroke:
Face - can the person smile?
Arms - can they raise both arms?
Speech - is their speech slurred?
Time to call 999 if you spot any of these signs
Other sudden symptoms include a loss of sight or blurred vision, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, memory loss or confusion and dizziness
Source: Stroke Association
Wayne was 46 and very physically active when he had his stroke - running an ultra-marathon just three weeks before he collapsed.
The cause was most likely a hole in Wayne's heart, with an operation to fix it scheduled in the next fortnight.
The Stroke Association is supporting Wayne and Emily through his recovery and says they are seeing a growing trend of strokes at an earlier age.
They want to work closely with Jersey's health service to improve communication between departments and offer better patient care.
Jacqui Cuthbert, an associate director for the charity, told ITV News: "We are working really closely with the hospital at the minute because there are gaps in the pathway for stroke that really need addressing.
"Data collection is one of the big issues, that's why it's difficult because we can't give more robust information about actual numbers but we're working on it.
"We've created a group recently where everyone working in stroke is trying to come together."
Survivors, their families and carers can contact Trudi Lewis from the Jersey Stroke Recovery Service by calling 07829 845086 or emailing Trudi.Lewis@stroke.org.uk
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