Heartbreak as Sunderland mum paralysed by rare spinal stroke while nine weeks pregnant

It’s a tragedy unimaginable to most parents, but for Ashleigh Turner and her family it is the devastating reality.

Now, at a time which should bring such joy following the birth of their baby boy Jacob Joyce, Ashleigh and partner Stephen Joyce are still coming to terms with the heartbreaking diagnosis and are struggling to make ends meet as the 26-year-old mum now needs round-the-clock care.

On Boxing Day, 2019, Stephen was at work when he discovered a flurry of missed calls from Ashleigh. Calling back he found the mum in ‘hysterics’ saying she was unable to move and couldn’t feel her body.

She was rushed to hospital and doctors discovered that Ashleigh, who lives in Thorney Close, had suffered a spinal stroke – so rare they account for just 1.25% of all strokes.

Ashleigh, then 25, was nine weeks pregnant and had been complaining of pain in her back for a number of weeks before the stroke, which forced her to pull out of the Great North Run.

The expecting mum spent the next seven months in hospital, through the peak of the pandemic, and was only discharged at the end of July after the birth of their healthy baby boy Jacob Joyce, who is now seven weeks old.

On her last day in hospital, the couple, who have had to cancel their 2021 wedding, received the devastating blow that the paralysis is ‘probably permanent’.

Ashleigh, who worked as a sales assistant at Flying Tiger, has no movement below her waist and, although she can move her arms and wrists, she doesn’t have control of her fingers and hands – meaning she needs to be supervised while holding her own newborn baby.

The pregnancy and the Covid-19 outbreak has also affected the amount of physiotherapy Ashleigh’s received.

Ashleigh said: “It’s just ripped my independence away and affected my mental health.

"My daughter, Paige, has really found it hard to come to terms with the fact I can’t walk, do fun things or have days out like we used to.

"She’s a very outdoorsy person so it’s quite hard to deal with.

"Ward D46 at Sunderland Royal Hospital were amazing. I was their first pregnant stroke patient and they did an amazing job making sure me and Jacob were safe for the entire six months until he was born.”

Stephen added: “She puts on a brave face but it is devastating.

"She’s strong but she does cry and break down and feel like she can’t do it anymore.

"She’s had a lot of her independence stripped away from her.

"She was an outgoing mam. She was really hands on with the kids and now she’s spending the majority of her time in bed or in a wheelchair.

"When she was in hospital it was just awful. The staff were amazing but it was still horrendous.

“Ashleigh gets really bad spasms in her legs and the hospital were quite lenient during the pandemic letting us come in to support her.”

Now Stephen has had to leave his job to care for Ashleigh, baby Jacob and two other children – Ashleigh’s daughter Paige, aged seven, and Stephen’s son two-year-old Luca.

The family has been coping on a small amount of carers’ allowance each week and, having used all their savings and money set aside for Christmas on bills, are struggling to make ends meet and pay for the expensive equipment Ashleigh needs.

Much-needed equipment includes a hoist for the bathroom and double orthopaedic bed as Stephen is currently sleeping in his son’s room.

Friend Keira Ramshaw, captain of Sunderland AFC Ladies, has set up a Go Fund Me page hoping to raise £1,000 to ‘help take a little stress and worry away from this loving family’.

“Ashleigh is such a caring young lady. She’d help anyone and I think that’s why I decided I had to do something,” said Keira, 26.

"We’re overwhelmed by the support already and I’m so thankful to everyone who has donated.”

Over £700 has been donated to support Ashleigh.

To donate, click here

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