Transforming Lives - Funmi Lawal - WE ROAR Magazine Issue 01 - Magazine - Page 12
Transforming Lives - Funmi Lawal
What led you to come up with the idea for ClipKnix...
"At 35, I suffered a severe stroke, leaving me with
reduced mobility. I couldn't walk; it was extremely
painful to bend down, and getting dressed felt like a
constant everyday battle.
"Our two babies were both born prematurely due to
preeclampsia. I didn't immediately know that the
second bout of preeclampsia would have a longlasting impact on my future health.
"On the eve of our second baby's naming ceremony,
seven days after her birth, I developed a severe
headache that paracetamol could not shift. Later that
night, a sharp pain woke me from my sleep, and I, in
turn, woke my husband for help. It was then that I
had a stroke, followed by a severe bleed on the
brain.
"We arrived at St Thomas's Hospital in central
London to discover that there was no neurosurgeon
on duty because it was the weekend. I was critically
ill, and my heart stopped while the hospital staff
conducted a CT scan. My family was informed that I
had little chance of survival, and even if I did manage
to survive, it was likely that I would be disabled for
life.
"Luckily, I was later moved to the Atkinson Morley
Hospital near Wimbledon, which had become one of
the world's most advanced brain surgery centres,
and I survived!
"I eventually started a rehabilitation process, which I
found very difficult and strenuous. Eventually, I was
talking, walking and using my right hand, which
enabled me to return to family life."
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