A man has told how his life changed after a stroke he suffered just days after heading a ball during a football match.
Tom Hooper, from Brighton, was playing football last summer when the ball hit his head.
The 32-year-old went to hospital twice in the days after the incident for speech and memory problems, but was sent home.
It was only when the school’s former fitness coach woke up ten days after the event with weakness on one side of his body that he was rushed to hospital and diagnosed as having a stroke.
Mr Hooper, who now suffers from persistent speech problems, weakness on the right side and uses a cane to walk, is unsure whether he will be able to work again and can no longer go out or exercise.
Tom Hooper, from Brighton, was playing football last summer when the ball hit his head
The 32-year-old went to hospital twice in the days after the incident for speech and memory problems, but was sent home
Mr Hooper played football at Preston Park, Brighton, last August.
He said: ‘The ball was passed to a central midfielder who went to shoot towards goal. I headed the ball to clear it, but boom – the ball was inflated hard.
‘I couldn’t remember anyone’s name. All I could say was left and right, yes and no. I sat down. I tried to find words, but nothing came out.’
Unable to use his phone, Mr Hooper walked to his mother Carol’s nearby home.
He said: “I went to the Royal Sussex County Hospital for the first time. They sent me home. They told me to read what to do. Rest.’
According to the NHS, people should go to A&E for head injuries if they also have other symptoms, including vomiting, change in behavior or memory problems.
Those sent home with a minor head injury should take care of it at home by using an ice pack to reduce swelling, resting and taking painkillers, the health department advice said.
Mr Hooper said: ‘I went back the next day. I didn’t feel well at all. I knew something was wrong. I drove myself in. I don’t know how I did it.
‘They sent me for a scan and nothing came up. I said, “I think you should put me in care.” They sent me home again.’
Mr. Hooper stayed with his mother so he could be cared for.
About a week later he woke up with numbness on the right side of his body.
When he got out of bed and tried to walk, he fell over.
His mother called 999 and Mr Hooper was rushed back to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he was diagnosed with a stroke which left him unable to speak.
Strokes are a serious life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
Nearly nine in 10 cases are caused by a blood clot, while the rest are caused when a weakened blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain bursts.
In rare cases, head injuries can weaken blood vessels and cause clotting problems, both of which can lead to strokes, doctors say.
Survivors are usually left with long-term problems caused by brain injuries.
In Britain, 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year, while in the US it is 800,000.
After six weeks of hospital treatment, Mr Hooper received two months of rehabilitation at the Princess Royal on Haywards Heath.
Mr Hooper was initially unable to speak at all, but his speech began to return after speech and language therapy (SLT) at the Princess Royal.
However, he still suffers from aphasia, when someone has difficulty with their language or speech.
But his family now pay £380 a week for Mr Hooper to receive private SLT and physio.
Mr Hooper, who previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Cardinal Newman School, said: ‘It has affected my social life massively.
‘I don’t go out at night. I miss the sport and the countryside. No car.
‘Would you like to work again in the future? Don’t know. People say you can sit and do customer service, but I can’t because of my speech. Aphasia has limited my words.
‘The right side of my body is weak. I can grab hold of something, but I can’t let go. I can type and move the mouse with my left hand.
‘I can walk around my house. I can walk up, but I need a rail on my left side. I use a cane when walking and have foot drop.’
Mr Hooper is supported by the Stroke Association’s stroke recovery service, which helps stroke survivors.
He said: ‘I speak to Marie every week. It’s nice to talk to someone who understands. It means a lot. I speak and she listens.’
Nick O’Donohue, the charity’s associate director for the south east, said: ‘Our research highlights that people still think stroke is a condition that only affects older people.
‘It is crucial that we challenge this misconception and raise awareness that stroke also affects young adults.
‘After a stroke, life changes in a flash. Two-thirds of people who survive a stroke have a disability.
‘As a result, young stroke survivors face major milestones and have their planned future stolen from them as they learn to adapt to their new lives affected by stroke.’