Taking steps to help others

Tracy will take part in the Stroke Association’s Step Out For Stroke walk in Stanley Park, Blackpool, on May 27.

She and daughter Jennifer will walk with her dad, Derek Caddy, who suffered a life-changing stroke last year. Derek’s stroke left him with no sight, right-sided weakness and severe aphasia, meaning he is unable to communicate. He has had to move into a nursing home to receive 24-hour care.

Tracy, 47, said: “Dad has gone from living in his own home, working and socialising, to needing one-on-one support. When we asked him if he wanted to take part in the Step Out For Stroke, he was really up for the challenge.

“We’ve been out practicing walking as his mobility has been affected, but he’s making huge improvements. My daughter Jennifer will be walking with us and we’ll be supporting my dad to walk. We’ll be bringing his wheelchair if he needs it, but I know he’ll be determined to walk – even if it takes him all day.

“My mother also had a stroke and this year, I knew it was time for me to get fit. I signed up for the Stroke Association’s Resolution Run in Blackpool in March and have lost a lot of weight since Christmas. The Step Out For Stroke is the next part of my fundraising journey. We chose to raise funds for the Stroke Association as we were supported by the charity through my dad’s recovery, which was such a huge help.”

Louise Lawless, community and events fundraising manager at the Stroke Association, said: “We’re inviting the whole community to sign-up for Step Out For Stroke in Blackpool and help us make it an event to remember. “Our Step Out for Stroke events mark a milestone for many stroke survivors taking part, and it’s an event the whole family will enjoy. We’re looking forward to seeing some truly inspirational people who will be taking their first steps since their stroke.”

Visit stroke.org.uk/stepout