Mark is a client at Heydays Care and Support Services in Barrow and became the first patient for new carer Damien Lippit two years ago.
Before his battle with ill health, Mark spent his time running a community art club with his brother and friend after being made redundant in 2010.
Damien said: “When I first met Mark he was a frightened gentleman but over the past two years we’ve worked together on his physical mobility and his speech and we’ve built a great friendship.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to witness such a positive transformation – it’s something that no amount of money can buy.”
Mark’s stroke was indirectly brought about by family losses with his mother passing away in 2013 and his brother dying due to a brain tumour just a year later.
Mark spent seven weeks in hospital and when he was discharged he had very limited mobility and very little speech.
He admitted that he was unprepared for the huge physical and emotional challenges facing him post-stroke.
“I’ve had to learn to draw and paint all over again using my left hand,” he explained.
“I was right-handed but after the stroke, I’ve not been able to use it.”
Mark’s first painting after the stroke was of a friend’s dog (Image: Heydays)
After working with a physiotherapist, Mark was initially told it was unlikely he would walk again, though Damien was on hand to maintain a level of positivity.
The care team would encourage Mark to mobilise himself each day, using their assistance and a support belt to gradually rebuild the strength in his legs, until the point that he was able to walk with a stick unaided.
It was a moment that Mark described as being ‘brilliant’, and he is now feeling more optimistic about his recovery, with plans already in motion to return to his art club very soon.
His first commission since the recovery was a painting for a friend of their beloved dog Shadow.
For anyone interested in joining the free-to-attend art and craft club, it runs on Mondays between 10am and 4pm at St. Matthew’s Community Hall in Barrow.
