CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – Megan Snook was a healthy 30-year-old pregnant with her second child.
But at the seventh month of her pregnancy, she suffered from two strokes.
And now, the young mother wants to raise awareness for stroke research. On Wednesday May 29th, Snook joined other young professionals and rode the Big Bike to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Snook said her blood pressure was high during the pregnancy, but doctors didn’t think much of it.
“I’ve been to my doctor, and then I’ve been to the hospital. I was sent home because I was told it was just anxiety, which was why I had high blood pressure and that it wasn’t pre-eclampsia,” Snook said.
“I ended back up in the hospital three hours later on the back of an ambulance. They didn’t believe I was having a stroke. Because what healthy 30-year-old pregnant woman, who’s closely monitored by her doctor has a stroke?”
As a result of the two strokes, her son was born 9 weeks early and she lost her eyesight completely for a period of time, as well as all mobility in her body.
She said it took her a week to regain enough eyesight to see her newborn.
Snook has regained mobility and some of her sight, but she said doctors told her she may not get her sight back completely. As a result of the stroke, she can no longer drive.
In all, she counts herself as fortunate that she’s healthy enough to care for her sons. She said she also feels fortunate that she can help raise awareness for others who suffer strokes young like she did.
“You look great, so everybody thinks you’re awesome and you’re fully recovered but the reality is behind everything, you’re not. It’s a new you that you have to get used to, and also being so young, people expect you to just be able to adapt.”
“There are limited services to help you adapt. The services are geared towards the elderly and others who have been disabled in more severe ways.”
Snook said that while those services are important, she also said there are others like her who also need help and should not be forgotten.
