Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
From the moment she comes through the leisure centre door in her wheelchair, JoJo Wynn is smiling. It's Friday, and that's her favourite day of the week, because it's when she comes for a swim as part of her rehabilitation after having a stroke.
She's been coming to IB Leisure, in Ingleby Barwick, nearly every week since February, last year, and her positivity in the face of adversity has made her a popular customer. "It's the freedom I get from being in the water that gives me such a feeling of joy," says the 69-year-old mother-of-two and grandmother-of-four, from Hartburn, near Stockton.
On Wednesday, October 29 - on World Stroke Day - JoJo is telling her story to raise awareness of the condition, and to give hope to others going through post-stroke treatment. Every day in the UK, another 240 people face the life-changing impact of a stroke, a disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain, which can affect speech, movement, and the ability to swallow.
The theme of World Stroke Day this year is 'Every Minute Counts', underlining the importance of acting quickly when someone shows signs of having a stroke. In JoJo's case, it happened in the early hours of August 20, 2022, when she and her husband, Graham, had driven to Leeds Bradford Airport to pick up their daughter, Felicity, son-in-law, Simon, and five-year-old grandson, Gabriel, from holiday.
'I think my Mum is having a stroke'
JoJo was travelling home in the back of the car when Felicity, who works as Deputy Head of Operations and Services for Hartlepool and Stockton Health, noticed her mother was speaking strangely. Being from a health background, Felicity knew the acronym to test for signs of a stroke and to act immediately: FAST - Face, Arms, Speech, and Time.
"I asked Mum to smile and she couldn't. She couldn't hold up her arms either, and her speech was slurred," recalls Felicity.
"I told Dad something was wrong and to pull over while Simon called an ambulance." After waiting 40 minutes, Felicity flagged down another ambulance and told the paramedics: "I think my Mum is having a stroke."
That decisive action was to prove critical. JoJo was taken to Leeds General Hospital, where a stroke was diagnosed almost immediately, and treatment to try to clear the blood clot began. After five days, she was transferred to North Tees General Hospital, where she started physiotherapy, and stayed until October before going into a care home for six weeks of respite.
'Quirk of fate'
She was then allowed home, with Graham bringing forward his retirement as a manager with Billingham and Norton Primary Care Network, so he could become her full-time carer. "I often think it was a quirk of fate that Mum had stayed awake to come with Dad to pick us up from the airport. If she hadn't, she'd have been asleep at home and we might never have known she had a stroke," reflects Felicity.
JoJo's use of the pool at IB Leisure started as a result of Felicity attending aqua classes, and noticing the pool had a wheelchair-accessible pod that could lower a disabled person into the water. JoJo, who had a long career with Marks and Spencer before she retired, had always enjoyed swimming, and she was immediately excited about the idea of getting back in the water.
Her sister-in-law AJ (short for Auntie Joan) was also recruited as a key helper because she'd had a 40-year career in the leisure industry, starting as a swimming teacher, and going on to be a leisure centre manager. When JoJo went to the pool for the first time, she cried with joy.
Eighteen months earlier, she'd been told by a consultant at Leeds General Hospital that she'd be bed-ridden, but she was suddenly able to stand, then walk, unaided for the first time since having the stroke, thanks to the additional support of being in the water.
"You'd think someone had given her a million pounds, she was so happy," says AJ. Within a couple of weeks, JoJo was "bouncing" up and down in the pool, and bursting into more tears because she felt she had her independence back.
"It was because I could do it myself, without anyone having to help me," she says. JoJo's progress since then has been heartwarming through weekly trips to the pool, with Felicity and AJ alongside her.
She's even developed her own special sideways swimming stroke, which staff have dubbed 'The JoJo'. It's enabled her to reach the proud milestone of swimming 150 metres in one go.
The family are full of praise for the role the leisure centre staff have played in JoJo's rehabilitation. "We can't speak too highly of them," says Felicity.
"They can't do enough. They're friendly and caring, and they speak to Mum like they speak to anyone else. They make her - and us - feel comfortable and safe."
'A stroke doesn't just affect the person, it affects the whole family'
Leon Jones, managing director of Tees Active, says: "JoJo's inspirational story is really worth celebrating on World Stroke Day because she's shown that having a positive attitude, along with the right support, is so important to successful rehabilitation. We're delighted to have been able to help JoJo make such outstanding progress, so she can go on doing something she loves and enjoying her life."
As well as her swimming sessions at Ingleby Barwick, JoJo also does other exercises during sessions with Teesside Stroke Club, including using a rowing machine. Meanwhile, she enjoys trips out with Graham, especially when it involves looking round the shops and stopping for a coffee.
Her regular request to him on Fridays - once swimming is over - is to drive out to Whitby for fish and chips. "He doesn't always agree but I do my best to persuade him!" she says.
JoJo can now take a few steps with a walking stick but hopes to get back to being able to go for a longer walk. Her other ambition is to swim in the sea at Saltburn one day.
Her message to others who have had a stroke is to stay positive. "I'm very lucky to have my family to support me - they've been brilliant," she says.
"A stroke doesn't just affect the person, it affects the whole family, but you have to adapt and find enjoyment in other ways. There's still a lot of life to live so you just have to keep going."
Interview over, Felicity pushes her mum towards the pool to get ready for her latest Friday morning swim. Before she turns the corner to the changing area, Jojo looks back, gives a thumbs up, and shouts: "Keep smiling!"
For the latest Teesside news direct to your inbox every day, sign up to our free newsletter