A BRAVE granddaughter is speaking out about life after having a stroke after watching her gran be ‘stripped of her independence’.

Shannon Hill, 26, watched her beloved gran from Drongan transform overnight from an extremely independent woman to being unable to write her own name.

But Shannon insists her grandmother, Cathleen Hill, never lost her determination or sense of humour despite being forced to go back to basics.

Cathleen suffered her stroke while home alone and had to scramble to the phone to get the ambulance which saved her life.

She was left completely paralysed on her right side and struggles with her speech but hasn’t given up on getting some of her independence back.

Since then Shannon has been left stunned at how Cathleen has adapted by zipping up her jacket with one hand and learning to write again.

She was so inspired after helping her gran she even switched careers from a nursery teacher to a carer to help others like her.

Now Shannon is convinced the progress has massively contributed to Cumnock and Ayr stroke clubs she attends and so has vowed to run a 10K to make sure her gran can keep attending the group.

Cumnock Chronicle:

She said: “After she became paralysed and couldn’t speak she became really depressed and down.

“She is completely paralysed but her speech annoys her more than anything because she can’t get words out even though she has it in her head, it sort of sounds like broken English.

“People think once you take a stroke that’s it but there’s so much rehabilitation after that people don’t even think of.

“The stroke club is important to her because it made her realise there are other people like her in the same position and going through the same thing, she wasn’t alone.

“I really couldn’t run the length of myself but I’ve decided to do the 10k at the Go Festival in Ayr to raise money for the club because they rely on funding and volunteers.

“Although it may look like the club just chat and play domino’s it is really helping their communication and letting them be with people who are going through the same thing.

“Everything has been stripped away from them they need to relearn everything like how to hold a pencil again.

“It was a really big change at the beginning she could hardly walk or talk at all. But after she started going to the club I noticed a big difference in her.

“The group is really one of the most important things in her life, without it she wouldn’t get out like she does now. It has been the one constant for her.”