Striding out for stroke

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’s Stride4stroke Campaign, which raises valuable funds for stroke research and resources.

“We 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),” the 23-year-old said.

“We didn’t suspect anything, she’d 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.”

Georgia said her mum’s death thrust the girls into adulthood, and despite the rawness of her passing was adamant she wanted to do something in her honour.

“I think you just have to grow up in five minutes. You get massive responsibilities put onto you, there’s things mum could’ve taught me to do and that I missed learning from her.

“It’s learning how to be an adult, we don’t have a lot of family, but we have an amazing support network of friends and mum’s friends. They’ve stepped in, but no one can replace mum.

“I’ve 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.”

Stroke Foundation is a national charity that partners with the community to prevent, treat and beat stroke; Stride4stroke is their physical activity campaign.

“Honestly for me personally I thought stroke was something that affected older people before any of this happened, I didn’t realise it affects children, teenagers, people my age and in their 40s and 50s,” Georgia said.

“It doesn’t discriminate, male, female, young, old – since joining the Stroke Foundation I’m in a community group where you hear people’s stories and it’s pretty crazy.

“Especially people my age having to learn how to walk and talk again after a stroke. It’s amazing they survived but their world is turned upside and that’s when I decided I wanted to do something to help.”

Georgia said her mum always believed that everything happened for a reason, something she had found difficult to accept.

“Her number one thing was everything happens for a reason, I still believe that even though it’s 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.”

Now, along with support from her partner Jack and sister Meg, Georgia said she will aim to walk 200 kilometres this month. “I’ll be doing walks at lunchtime along Eastern Beach and taking Ollie for walks along mum’s favourite beaches in Torquay and Jan Juc.

“This is a big first for me and I’ll aim to do it every year. Until it touches you personally, you don’t realise how important it is to raise awareness and funds for people impacted.”

To support Georgia’s campaign, head to stride4stroke.org.au/fundraisers/georgianickels/stride-4-stroke.