Rebecca Gray

I’m taking on the challenge of Stride4Stroke and raising funds for Stroke Foundation!

Hi there! 

In 2016, at 36, I was a healthy, busy single mum and Occupational Therapy student. Unexpectedly, I experienced an ocular migraine (losing vision for an hour) followed by weakness in my right arm. At the hospital, I learned I'd had a stroke. Thankfully, my arm weakness resolved within a day.

Investigations revealed a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)—a small hole in my heart that remained open after birth. A tiny blood clot had traveled through this PFO to my brain's precentral gyrus, causing a cryptogenic stroke. This experience highlighted how a hidden condition can lead to a life-changing event.

I'm taking on the challenge of Stride4Stroke and raising funds for Stroke Foundation to help create a future with fewer strokes.

In the next 11 minutes, someone, somewhere in Australia is going to have a stroke.

Stroke is one of Australia's biggest killers and doesn't discriminate; it affects anyone, anytime. It claims more lives than breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. And incredibly, up to 120 babies and 400 children have a stroke in Australia each year.

By supporting me, you'll be helping to sustain vital programs and resources that Stroke Foundation provides, including:

Preventing Stroke:

• StrokeSafe Talks
• Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check
• Information Resources

Saving Lives:

• F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) Signs of Stroke Awareness
• Living Guidelines for Stroke Management
• InformMe Website for Health Professionals

Enhancing Recovery:

• StrokeLine
• My Stroke Journey
• EnableMe Website for Survivors of Stroke

Your support goes beyond just a donation; it's a lifeline for individuals at risk of stroke and survivors of stroke.

Thank you for supporting me. Together we can change the story of stroke.