Dumfries woman whose husband had massive stroke backs charity's volunteers campaign
A Dumfries woman whose husband had a massive stroke is backing a charity's campaign for more volunteers.
Sheryl Herring's husband Bruce was given just a five per cent chance of survival following a stroke in 2017.
She found out about the Stroke Association and now regularly visits hospital patients and has started a peer support group to help other families in a similar situation.
Sheryl is one of just two volunteers the charity has in Dumfries and Galloway and, ahead of Volunteers' Week starting on Monday, she is calling on other people to get involved.
She said: 'It was a revelation to find people going through what I'd been through, and I get a lot of support from Stroke Association community connectors whose job it is to signpost stroke survivors and their families to the services and support the charityprovides.
'I feel my experience puts me in a very good position to provide a sympathetic ear and reassure people they are not alone.'
Sheryl, a mum of two, worked in health and social care when Bruce suffered a stroke in 2017 at the age of 49.
It left him in a coma and he spent 11 months in hospital, being given just a five per cent chance of survival.
When he left, he was in a wheelchair and suffered severe bouts of depression.
The couple's world was turned upside down, with Sheryl becoming Bruce's full-time carer, and she started to feel the pressure.
She had a breakdown and found the friends she used to rely on peeled away. It was a constant battle to get Bruce the help he needed, so she researched what support was available and discovered the Stroke Association and Dumfries and Galloway Carers Centre.
Sheryl is now a volunteer for the Stroke Association and visits the stroke ward at DGRI every Monday to tell patients and families about Stroke Association support and what is available in the local area.
She also visits Lochamben Community Rehabilitation Unit every fortnight, with her peer support group meeting at Mountainhall in Dumfries on the first Thursday of every month.
And she also told Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson about her work and stroke treatment and care in Dumfries and Galloway.
The latest available figures show 325 people across the region had a stroke in 2023 and the Stroke Association estimates 60 per cent will be left with some sort of disability, with three-quarters likely to experience mental health issues.
The charity is calling for new volunteers to come forward to help provide support, with Sheryl and Newton Stewart-based Stewart Anderson currently their only helpers in Dumfries and Galloway.
Associate director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, John Watson, said: 'The number of people having strokes in Scotland is anticipated to rise in the coming years and we've found that more than 50 per cent of Scottish adults have a close personal connection to stroke – whether having had one or seen a close friend or relativeaffected.
'Our volunteers' work is varied and rewarding, with the potential for learning and development opportunities and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved.'
The Stroke Association provides a raft of resources and support including on its website and by phone.
However, support provided by people who have had experience of stroke is a powerful way to help stoke survivors and their families to adjust to the life-changing condition and the charity is particularly keen to hear from people who have had a stroke, or have supported someone who has, and want to use their experience to help others.
Helping can benefit volunteers as well as the people they support as they develop new skills and confidence and feel they are giving something back.
Anyone wishing to volunteer with the Stroke Association can contact the charity's engagement team in Scotland at engagementteamscotland@stroke.org.uk.
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