Mum of three Claire Carpenter (34) thought it was just a bad headache during the day but things changed for the worst when she suddenly collapsed to the floor in front of her children.
t was 5:58pm on February 10the and Claire, also a bride to be, ended up being was rushed to Beaumont Hospital for two life saving surgeries.
Claire had a blood clot in her brain and suffered a severe stroke.
All the power on her left-hand side has evaporated much to the shock of her three children Luke, Anna, Zach and her fiancé Ross Mannion who called an ambulance to bring her to Sligo University Hospital (SUH) before she was transferred to Dublin for urgent treatment.
The couple were due to get married this July and had previously rescheduled the ceremony two times due to the pandemic, now this Coolaney family would face their biggest challenge yet as Claire begins her rehabilitation journey and Ross does everything in his power to ensure she can regain her independence as partner, mother, family member and friend.
Ross, a former player and coach with Connacht Rugby, has spoken about the trials their family has gone through over the past 11 weeks, Claire’s recovery journey and the long road ahead, as well as the incredible support they have received from family, friends and the wider community.
“We were all there when it happened, the kids and myself, from the moment the ambulance arrived they knew she had a severe stroke,” he said.
Claire had two surgeries in Beaumont, one to remove the blood clot and see how that could elevate the trauma to the brain and the second to remove a part of her skull to put pressure off the brain and allow for swelling.
She is due a third surgery to have a plate inserted in her skull.
“Claire was in an induced coma for about a week after surgery and then because the medication was so heavy, they gradually woke her up over a period of three or four days and I suppose the recovery began from then,” he said.
Ross says the recovery happens in ‘baby steps’ and started with regaining her voice which was ‘quite horse’ from so many tubes during the period she was in a coma.
“Her voice came back thankfully and her speech is good. She would have been on a feeding tube for a period and swallowing can be an issue with any sort of stroke victim. It can be a big issue of concern wondering will it or won’t it come back, but thankfully it has come back,” he said.
“She is working with the speech and language team and getting it back, she is good with that thankfully and her progress is very good.”
After her surgeries in Beaumont, Claire returned to SUH and Ross has commended the team there stating the nurses, healthcare assistants, consultants, physio and occupational therapists are giving her the best treatment she can receive, and she is responding really well.
“Considering what’s happened, her young age and as a mum of three, she feels very positive throughout it.
“At the minute the main physical effect from the stroke is she has no real movement on her left side, her arm and her leg, there is hope but there is no real guarantee those things will come back” he said.
“Everyone who suffers a stroke is different in how they will recover, obviously with a younger person there is hope that youth will be on your side, that things can come back to a certain level, it might not be 100% of where you were before but there is hope.”
Ross says the next stage in the process is for her to gain access to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire (NHR), but as the only hospital in Ireland providing complex medical specialist rehabilitation services there is a waiting list and it can be difficult to secure a place.
“She is on the waiting list and hopefully she will get in sooner rather than later, it is the only hospital in Ireland not only for brain injuries and stroke patients but also something like a car crash or back injuries, that’s the next part of her journey,” he said.
The couple’s three children range in ages from 7 to 14 years old and Ross says they are coping as well as they can but this has been difficult for everyone.
“All of us have our moments, but I think that’s only natural. The way we have dealt with it as a family is by being as honest as we can with them depending on their age,” he said.
“Luke, our 14-year-old, would be more aware of what is going on in the immediate time, having lots of people at the house, the ambulance coming, he’s more clued into things like that.
“For Zach, our youngest son, he particularly misses his mum, he would be the baby of the family and they were very much attached to the hip so it’s difficult without her here for all of us.”
It is challenging not only for their immediate family but for everyone in their life as Ross outlines what a resilient, grounded, wise, and determined woman his partner is and how she would have been a center point in their extended family.
“Her dad and brothers all live close by and she’s been a focal point for them, she is a big part of their family, she’s the person everyone goes to for a chat and a cup of tea, she makes the effort to keep in touch with everyone.
“She’s a very driven, independent, and caring person, the kind of person when anyone ever needed anything she would jump, whether it was taking care of children or anything else.
“Trying to give her back her independence is the big thing, regardless of how good her recovery is or isn’t, it is to give her the opportunity to have as independent a life as possible.”
Ross has described the journey ahead for Claire and her family as ‘uncharted, lonely, and scary’ and that now instead of planning a summer wedding they are instead focusing on adapting their home for Claire’s reduced function and mobility.
“Instead of arranging wedding cars, we need a vehicle that accommodates a wheelchair. We may not need a bridesmaid for the day, but we know we need a long-term care assistant. And there will be no honeymoon.
“Just an indeterminate, daunting, and isolated rehabilitation period in the National Rehab at Dun Laoghaire. And numerous sundry items will deplete our modest savings,” he said.
In preparation for the daunting financial challenges that lay ahead Ross has set up a GoFundMe page where people can donate to help them face mounting costs and adapt to their new normal.
So far, the fundraising page has already received several hundred donations and Ross says they are incredibly thankful for the outpouring of support they have received.
“It has been phenomenal, we have our immediate close knit family, wider family groups, and close friends and everyone has come to the fore in terms of support, that is a credit to Claire because she’d be there for people in their time of need,” he said.
“From my own side groups of friends have really rallied together to help fundraise, I can’t thank them enough. From a work point of view Connacht Rugby have been really good and understanding about everything and they want to do other elements of fundraising around it as well.”
Those who wish to donate can do so here
