I suffered a stroke after heading a football: Freak injury of 32-year-old fitness fanatic who now walks with a cane and can no longer play sports

A man has told really he has been near pinch life-changing injuries from a changeable he suffered conscionable days aft heading a shot during a shot match. 

Tom Hooper, of Brighton, was playing a friends 7-a-side lucifer past summertime erstwhile nan shot whacked his head. 

The 32-year-old went to nan infirmary doubly successful nan days pursuing nan incident aft suffering from reside and representation problems but was sent home. 

When nan erstwhile schoolhouse fittingness coach woke up pinch weakness down 1 broadside of his assemblage 10 days aft nan event, he was rushed to infirmary and diagnosed pinch a stroke.

Mr Hooper, who now suffers ongoing reside difficulties, weakness down his correct broadside and uses a cane to walk, is unsure if he will beryllium capable to activity again and tin nary longer spell connected nights retired aliases play sport.

Mr Hooper was playing seven-a-side shot successful Preston Park, Brighton, past August.

He said: 'The shot sewage passed into a centre midfielder who went to sprout towards nan goal. I headed nan shot to clear it but roar — nan shot had been pumped up hard.

'I couldn't retrieve anyone's name. All I could opportunity was near and right, yes and no. I sat down. I tried to get words but thing would travel out.'

Mr Hooper was incapable to usage his telephone but walked to his mother Carol's home, which was nearby. 

He said: 'I went down to nan Royal Sussex County Hospital for nan first time. They sent maine home. They told maine to publication up connected what I should do. Rest up.'

People should spell to A&E for caput injuries if nan besides person different symptoms, including vomiting, a alteration successful behaviour aliases problems pinch memory, according to nan NHS.

Those who are sent location pinch a insignificant caput wounded should look aft it themselves astatine location by utilizing an crystal battalion to bring down swelling, resting and taking painkillers, nan wellness service's proposal states.

Mr Hooper said: 'I went backmost again nan time after. I didn't consciousness good astatine all. I knew that thing was wrong. I drove myself in. I don't cognize really I did it. 

'They sent maine for a scan and thing showed up. I said "I deliberation you request to put maine successful care". They sent maine backmost location again.'

Mr Hooper was staying astatine his mother's truthful he could beryllium taken attraction of.

Around 1 week later, he woke up to numbness down nan correct broadside of his body.

When he sewage retired of furniture and tried to walk, he fell over.

His mother called 999 and Mr Hooper was rushed backmost to Royal Sussex County Hospital, wherever he was diagnosed pinch a changeable that had near him incapable to speak.

Strokes are a superior life-threatening aesculapian information that happens erstwhile humor proviso to portion of nan encephalon is trim off.

Nearly 9 successful 10 cases are caused by a humor clot, while nan remainder are triggered erstwhile a weakened humor alloy that supplies humor to nan encephalon bursts. 

In uncommon cases, caput injuries tin weaken humor vessels and origin clotting problems, some of which tin lead to strokes, medics say.

Survivors are usually near pinch semipermanent problems caused by wounded to their brain. 

In nan UK, 100,000 group suffer a changeable each year, while nan fig is 800,000 successful nan US. 

After six weeks of infirmary treatment, Mr Hooper received 2 months of rehab astatine nan Princess Royal astatine Haywards Heath.

Mr Hooper was initially incapable to speak astatine each but his reside started to return pursuing reside and connection therapy (SLT) successful nan Princess Royal.

However, he still suffers from aphasia — erstwhile a personification has trouble pinch their connection aliases speech.

But his family are now paying £380 a week for Mr Hooper to person SLT and physio privately.

Mr Hooper, who antecedently worked arsenic a spot and conditioning coach at Cardinal Newman School, said: 'It's affected my societal life massively.

'I don't spell retired astatine night. I'm missing retired connected athletics and nan countryside. No car.

'Work again successful nan future? I don't know. People opportunity you could beryllium and do customer work but I can't because of my speech. Aphasia has constricted my words.

'The correct broadside of my assemblage is weak. I tin grip thing but I can't fto go. I tin type and move nan rodent pinch my near hand.

'I tin locomotion wrong my location I tin locomotion upstairs but I person to person a obstruction connected my near side. I usage a instrumentality erstwhile stepping and person ft drop.'

Mr Hooper has been supported by nan Stroke Association's changeable betterment service, which helps changeable survivors.

He said: 'I speak to Marie each week. It's bully to talk to personification who understands. It intends a lot. I speak and she listens.'

Nick O'Donohue, nan charity's subordinate head for nan South East, said: 'Our investigation highlights that group still deliberation changeable is simply a information that only affects older people. 

'It's important that we situation this misconception and make group alert that changeable affects young adults too.

'After a stroke, life changes successful a flash. Two thirds of group who past a changeable find themselves surviving pinch a disability.

'As a result, young changeable survivors are having important milestones and their planned futures stolen from them, while they person to study to accommodate to their caller life affected by stroke.'