A man has made it his mission to make a cup of tea for himself again after he suffered a stroke at just 33.
Sam Rawlinson, from Old Swan, was at a friend's house on November 26, 2022, when he "fell asleep" on the couch. It wasn't until his friend's daughter came over that they realised his arm and leg had "drooped" and they called an ambulance.
Sam was taken to Aintree Hospital, where providers had a four hour window to get a CT scan, which confirmed he had suffered a stroke, and administer medication to him. He was then taken to a stroke ward where doctors found he had lost movement in his left arm and leg, and was unable to walk.
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Sam told The ECHO: "I had a mini-stroke a few years ago, which is usually a precept to another. It happened really suddenly and unexpectedly. I've been a retail manager for around 15 years and now I can't walk, I'm unable to dress, cook or clean for myself and I need assistance with most daily tasks.
"My mind is still there and in that respect, I'm really lucky, but I have no independence at all. My life will never be the same."
From the stroke ward Sam spent two weeks on a medical ward having physio, before spending two months "stuck" in rehabilitation. Sam has since been moved to The Orchard Care Home after attempts at physio were bringing "little improvement".
Sam said: "It's really great here, all the nurses are brilliant but I just don't have any independence. It's now a case of having some time away from it [physio] for a little bit and focussing on how do do the things I'm able to do.
"I will come back to physio but the doctors said there's no certainty I will ever get the strength back or be able to walk again. Some people come back to physio and start responding to it better, and some people don't."
Sam is now trying to raise money to get an electric wheelchair or a mobility scooter, to enable him to get his independence back. He told The ECHO he is working towards being able to make himself a cup of tea and transport it by himself.
He said: "I have a manual wheelchair but because I can't use one of my arms I need to be pushed everywhere. I am unable to go out much at all as my main source of support, my best friend Sarah, has health conditions of her own so is unable to lift or push a wheelchair.
"I haven't been able to be social which has already had a poor impact on my mental health as I already have a personality disorder. An electric wheelchair or mobility scooter would enable me to have a lot of my independence back and have a social life.
"I would be able to do some of the things a normal 33-year-old man should be able to do. My goal is to be able to make a cup of tea and transport it to the table."
Sam said if his £1,500 target is exceeded any money would be spent on other equipment to help Sam with his independence or would be donated to The Leonard Cheshire Trust, the charity which owns the care home he currently lives in.
To donate to Sam's GoFundMe page click here.
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