Carrick woman who suffered stroke at 18 calls for award nominations

Rebecca Morrow, who is now 20, was a previous winner of the Stroke Association's Life After Stroke Award.

The charity is welcoming nominations of inspirational stroke survivors, carers, professionals and volunteers.

In 2018, the Stroke Association’s ‘Life After Stroke Creative Arts Award’ was presented to Rebecca by comedian Markus Birdman and actress Victoria Yeates.

Presented at a ceremony at the Landmark hotel in London, the award was in recognition of Rebecca’s art work inspired by her recovery after stroke.

Rebecca, who is now studying Fine Art at Ulster University's Belfast School of Art, said: “I won the creative arts award because I’d created art pieces inspired by my stroke recovery whilst studying for my A-Levels.

"I had a total of three strokes, caused by a PFO or a hole in the heart, which was subsequently closed via surgery. I’m really lucky to be able to pursue my interest in art and what inspires me the most is the one thing that could’ve stopped me – stroke.

“The whole award experience was amazing, from travelling to London for the ceremony, meeting other inspiring stroke survivors, celebrities as well as the support and networking within the local stroke community and of course, the media interest that followed.

“Winning the award has really inspired me to follow on with expressing this experience through artistic practice both directly and indirectly through the medium of printmaking.

“I actually feel very positive about my strokes now. It’s something I look back on and accept as part of my life experience. I feel very lucky to have made a full recovery and it’s something I can use to raise awareness of stroke and as artistic inspiration in years to come."

Award winners will attend a star-studded award ceremony in London on November 12, 2020.

Nominations for the Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Awards close on 30 April.

For more information about making a nomination, visit www.stroke.org.uk/lasa