Jersey marathon runner raising awareness after stroke

Within six hours of having a stroke, Mr English had been flown to Southampton hospital for emergency treatment

A Jersey runner is helping to raise awareness on how to spot if someone is having a stroke.

Wayne English collapsed from a stroke in August 2022 while running in a race - his partner Emily Le Beuvant "immediately recognised" the signs.

A stroke is caused when a blockage or bleed stops blood from getting to your brain, causing the brain to die.

Ms Le Beuvant said she knew straight away something was wrong as half of Mr English's face had drooped.

Wayne English and his partner Emily Le Beuvant ran the Royal Parks half marathon on behalf of the Stroke Association before his stroke

She said: "I looked at him and straight away I knew it was something serious.

"My head was telling me it was a stroke, but my heart was kind of like, why would it be you know, he's healthy, he's young."

Within six hours, Mr English had been flown to Southampton General Hospital for emergency treatment.

He underwent a "miracle" procedure called thrombectomy, where the clot was plucked from the blood vessel and pulled out.

'Problems are invisible'

Mr English has run a number of marathon's, including an ultra-marathon in 2018.

"I was running four times a week in training for the London Marathon... I cycled every day to work and did two gym sessions per week," he said.

Although he was in peak fitness, Mr English said a stroke could happen to anyone.

"It has been a period of ups and downs, fatigue, brain fog and frustration, anxiety and depression," he said.

"If someone you know has had a stroke, please support and love them as sometimes their problems are invisible."

Mr English underwent a "miracle" procedure, where the clot was plucked from the blood vessel and pulled out

The Stroke Association said the actions of Ms Le Beuvant and other runners could have saved Mr English's life.

The charity said its FAST acronym aimed to remind people the key signs of a stroke:

• Face - can the person smile?

• Arms - can they raise both arms?

• Speech - is their speech slurred?

• Time to call 999 if you spot any of the signs

Mr English said with the help of the charity and family, he was on the road to recovery.

"It's a rollercoaster for me at the moment, but I'm getting there."

Follow BBC Jersey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].