I would like to make Mumsnet members aware that Soniya Mundy of Bristol has started a 'ChildstrokeSupport'group online. So can you pass this information on to any family you know who may be suffering this extreme crisis at the moment and would benefit from support from other parents who have been there?
Did you know that Childhood Stroke is one of the main causes of death/severe disability in children in the U.K.- up to 500 children a year suffer a stroke and many suffer serious disability or do not survive. We have tried to get the Government to acknowledge and publicise this fact in order to avoid more children dying or suffering lifelong disability and disadvantage from what is a treatable condition if caught quickly. We were told by the Department of Health that such a campaign was 'not cost effective'- whatever that means! So I would like all of you to make other parents aware that the current 'act FAST' campaign for stroke on TV applies to children too, especially if they have had chickenpox in the past 12 months,a blow to the head or a prolonged flu like illness with severe headache. We are trying to get a national register for children who have suffered stroke, as there is a similar number
each year to those with brain tumour and there has been a child cancer register for many years, which enables adequate follow up treatment,disability support and research - which at the moment children disabled from stroke are not getting. However, in the meantime our parent support group is there for other families whose child is going through a life threatening situation to supply the emotional support they need and ongoing advice on rehab.