Georgia Nickels thought strokes happened to the elderly, until her mother Melissa died suddenly in her sleep at only 50 years old.<\/p>\n
This November in honour of her mum, Georgia is taking part in the Stroke Foundation\u2019s Stride4stroke Campaign, which raises valuable funds for stroke research and resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were in a really good place, honestly it took us all completely by surprise. Mum, my younger sister Meg, 20, and I had just moved into our new house (in Armstrong Creek),\u201d the 23-year-old said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t suspect anything, she\u2019d just turned 50 in February. There was no family history, we ate healthy, mum was a healthy weight. She just went to bed (on July 26) and we discovered her the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Georgia said her mum\u2019s death thrust the girls into adulthood, and despite the rawness of her passing was adamant she wanted to do something in her honour.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you just have to grow up in five minutes. You get massive responsibilities put onto you, there\u2019s things mum could\u2019ve taught me to do and that I missed learning from her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s learning how to be an adult, we don\u2019t have a lot of family, but we have an amazing support network of friends and mum\u2019s friends. They\u2019ve stepped in, but no one can replace mum.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had to Google how to use the washing machine, I depended so much on mum, so you become really independent and self-sufficient. When we found out it was a stroke I began looking into things and found the Stroke Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stroke Foundation is a national charity that partners with the community to prevent, treat and beat stroke; Stride4stroke is their physical activity campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly for me personally I thought stroke was something that affected older people before any of this happened, I didn\u2019t realise it affects children, teenagers, people my age and in their 40s and 50s,\u201d Georgia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t discriminate, male, female, young, old – since joining the Stroke Foundation I\u2019m in a community group where you hear people\u2019s stories and it\u2019s pretty crazy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially people my age having to learn how to walk and talk again after a stroke.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s amazing they survived but their world is turned upside and that\u2019s when I decided I wanted to do something to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Georgia said her mum always believed that everything happened for a reason, something she had found difficult to Striding out for accept.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer number one thing was everything happens for a reason, I still believe that even though it\u2019s hard not to think why did she have to pass away? If I can get out there and help someone else or raise awareness and do something good with it, it will help us not hold onto it and be at peace with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, along with support from her partner Jack and sister Meg, Georgia said she will aim to walk 200 kilometres this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be doing walks at lunchtime along Eastern Beach and taking Ollie for walks along mum\u2019s favourite beaches in Torquay and Jan Juc.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a big first for me and I\u2019ll aim to do it every year. Until it touches you personally, you don\u2019t realise how important it is to raise awareness and funds for people impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
To support Georgia\u2019s campaign, head to stride4stroke.org.au\/fundraisers\/georgianickels\/stride-4-stroke.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Georgia Nickels thought strokes happened to the elderly, until her mother Melissa died suddenly in her sleep at only 50 years old. This November in honour of her mum, Georgia is taking part in the Stroke Foundation\u2019s Stride4stroke Campaign, which raises valuable funds for stroke research and resources. \u201cWe were in a really good place, […]<\/p>\n