A YOUNG woman is raising awareness for victims of strokes of all ages after she suffered two at the age of just 23.

Hannah McGrath, now 27, is speaking out about the way suffering from strokes impacts mental health.

Ms McGrath, from Urmston, was working night shifts as a nurse when she had two life-changing strokes and found herself on the receiving end of hospital care.

She said: “The biggest hit of the strokes were how they affected me emotionally. Something I can't even comprehend now, was that I was 23 years old, fit and healthy. I'd just booked a one way ticket to travel the world. This wasn't in my plan."

Ms McGrath said that the effects of the strokes left her not wanting to leave the house.

She said: “I really struggled with anxiety and fatigue and didn't feel well enough to continue as a nurse. Initially when I was discharged from hospital my fatigue meant I was just constantly napping through the day. It was a vicious circle, as I was really anxious about sleeping in case I had another stroke.

“I had such anxiety about having another stroke in my sleep that would leave me paralysed, or worse, that I wouldn’t wake up.

"It got to a point where I was in a very low mood, and I was stuck in a rut of doing nothing at home, being in bed, not leaving the house, not seeing anyone. I didn’t know how to get out of it."

Ms McGrath managed to return to her nursing career in January in Manchester Royal A&E, but the concerns about having another stroke still linger.

She added: "I am worried about my future and having another stroke. I want to raise awareness that strokes can affect people of all ages.”