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A new mum who thought she had a headache suffered a stroke just days after the birth of her baby boy. Kat Dobie had envisioned the precious moments she would share with her new born son,

from visits to baby and toddler groups and celebrating his first milestones. But after welcoming Teddy into the world on 20 December 2017, Kat began experiencing headaches in the days that

followed. She was advised to visit the GP once they reopened over the Christmas period but Kat's condition worsened. On Boxing Day night, she was urgently taken by ambulance to the

University Hospital of North Durham due to a stroke. Her husband Chris recalled the initial confusion: "I thought she was just exhausted but turns out she had a bleed on the

brain". The 38-year-old mum, from Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, spent the next six months in hospital. She was initially treated at Durham before being transferred to the Royal

Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle for surgery. Chris said: "Two or three days after the surgery, I took Teddy to the hospital to see Kat. She was out of it and her observations had

been really high," reports Chronicle Live. He noticed a remarkable change when their son was present: "As soon as Teddy was there, everything normalised. It was like she knew he

was there." Kat's recovery journey continued at Bishop Auckland Hospital's stroke ward, and later she was offered rehabilitation at Walkergate Park, part of the Cumbria,

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), which specialises in services for individuals with a disability caused by injury or disease affecting the brain, spinal cord or

muscles. Upon arrival, Kat found herself unable to walk or talk and had to follow a special diet. Care assistant Tracy Burns, who tended to Kat, said: "Kat was a very different patient

for us. We have patients who have had a stroke all the time but Kat's circumstances were so different, to be so young and to have just had a baby." Chris only missed one day at the

hospital due to heavy snowfall. He dedicated his time on the ward with Teddy, coordinating health visitor appointments for Teddy's checks to take place at the hospital, aiming to

simplify logistics for the family. While receiving care at Walkergate Park, Kat underwent multiple therapies, such as speech and language therapy, as well as physiotherapy. Discussing her

treatment routine years on, Kat said: "I had a therapy timetable so was busy on weekdays but I struggled on weekends because there was too much time to think and I wasn't ready to

talk about the stroke. Walkergate Park was magnificent but I didn't want to be there." Shedding light on her emotional state, she said: "I hadn't accepted I'd had a

stroke. I thought I'd be at Walkergate Park for two weeks and then would be able to go home and carry on with life." In June 2018, the time came for Kat to return home. "I sat

in the ambulance outside for ages thinking 'I don't know if I can do this'. Seeing the house brought back memories and reminded me that things were so different now. Last

time I'd been home, I had gone to have a baby. I'd planned to go to all these baby and toddler groups and none of that had happened," she said. Chris had made several

adjustments to their home, including installing a stair lift and a downstairs wet room, while Kat received a care package that involved carers visiting four times daily. She said: "They

came in at 6am on the first day and again at 6pm to put me to bed. I thought I can't do this; we'll do it ourselves." Chris took on the role of Kat's full-time carer, as

well as caring for their six-month-old Teddy. "Everyone at the time said I don't know how you're doing it, but you do. You just get on with it," he added. Kat underwent

various therapies both at home and in hospital, gradually beginning to recover. Then, on December 27, 2020, the couple tied the knot after Chris popped the question in the hospital. They

selected this date for their wedding as it marked the anniversary of her brain haemorrhage, aiming to transform a distressing memory into something positive. Due to the pandemic

restrictions, they were limited to five guests but surprised friends by live-streaming the ceremony on Facebook Live. Seven years after the stroke, their lives have taken a turn for the

better. Kat serves as a trustee for the North East Trust for Aphasia (NETA). "Before, I was working a mundane job. It paid the bills but I didn't have a purpose. Now I do and

I'm doing something I love. Since my stroke I have made some of the best friends and I've got a purpose that I didn't have before," she said. Kat has transformed their

spare room into a dedicated craft space and actively coordinates local craft sessions. The pair also relishes attending concerts, holidaying abroad, with two trips since the stroke. Kat

continues to attend Walkergate Park for counselling support and is participating in the recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Week this week (19 – 25 May). She commented: "I blocked out

a lot of what had happened and counselling has been a big help. We get so much support from everyone at Walkergate Park, from the café staff to the physios and the cleaners. They're

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