Bath teen stroke survivor warns it can happen to anyone

Olive said her "leg was wobbly and my hand wouldn’t move properly"

A teenaged dancer who feared she would never walk again following a stroke is raising awareness that it can happen to anyone.

Olive, 14, from Bath, had a stroke caused by a rare condition called an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Previously she had been in good health.

The Stroke Association said a stroke could happen to anyone at any time and was not limited to older people.

Olive said people should never take their health for granted.

During her recovery Olive had to use a wheelchair and doctors were not certain when she would be able to walk again

There are many different types of AVM that affect 1.4 in every 100,000 people.

In the UK there are about 400 childhood strokes per year, and not all of those are related to AVMs.

Olive had never experienced any health issues before, she was a keen dancer and led an active lifestyle.

"I had pretty good health so it's such a weird thing to think that this can happen to you regardless," she said.

"My head got so painful, like an agony that you've never felt, like your head was squishing together.

"I was paralysed down the side of my body."

Olive suffered a stroke due to a rare condition of the arteries in her brain

Olive's parents said allowing her to tell her story was helping her recovery.

Symptoms of a stroke in children can vary from a sudden severe headache, vertigo or dizziness that is new, to very sudden nausea, visual effects and others.

Esme Mutter, from the Stroke Association, said: "It's important to not overlook the fact that children can be affected by a stroke because most people assume it's an older persons' condition.

"It can happen to anyone at anytime.

"A stroke is definitely an emergency and you must call 999 immediately if your child shows any signs."