With Thrive, Ian grew strength and fresh hope
Before his stroke, gardening was Ian’s passion and he ran a landscaping business to support his young family. He was 40 years old when his stroke left him paralysed all down one side.
Ian: "At first, I burst into tears a lot. I couldn’t see a way I would ever be able to live my life again, to walk out into a garden, let alone work in a garden."
After three months in hospital, Ian set himself two goals – to drive a car and get back to work within five years. But frustration with his lack of mobility led to anger, pain and a growing sense of despair. Ian recalls:
"What could I do for myself with just one functioning hand?"
Then his occupational therapist mentioned Thrive, based just up the road from him in Reading. Ian was given his own raised bed, suitable garden tools and, with plenty of support, encouraged to do as little or as much as he could manage.
The day he first thrust a trowel into the rich soil, Ian walked further than he’d done since his stroke. After a lot of hard work and with our support, Ian has managed to move on and find a different life. He works in his garden at home and even volunteers at a gardening club which helps other stroke survivors.
Ian: "I would never have rebuilt my life this quickly without Thrive. Therapy through gardening is a powerful tool – it helped me come to terms with my stroke, it helped me learn how to live again."
Did you know that every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke?
That stroke is the third biggest killer and the leading cause of severe disability in the UK?
And that more than 250,000 people live with disabilities caused by stroke?*
Thrive needs your support to work with more people like Ian. Please donate and help stroke survivors and disabled people across the UK. Thank you for caring.
(* Source: The Stroke Association)
Thank you for caring.