Seven-year-old Louie was a bright, football-loving boy with endless energy and a natural talent for the game.

But during a kick-about with a family friend, he suddenly became dizzy and sick. By the time he got home, his dad, Ben, knew something was seriously wrong.

‘Louie couldn’t speak much when he asked me to carry him from the car,’ Ben recalls. ‘He couldn’t control his body or hold his head up without being sick.’

Facing a long wait for an ambulance, Louie’s parents drove him to their local hospital in Wakefield. There they learned that he’d had a stroke caused by a tear in a neck artery.

Louie was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary for life-saving thrombectomy surgery and spent over two months in intensive care.

‘Louie couldn’t walk, talk, swallow or even see straight at first,’ says Ben. ‘But on day four or five, he lifted his middle finger up to his little brother. I didn’t care that he was swearing – I saw it as a major step.

‘Physically, Louie’s come on leaps and bounds. But although he looks fine, he’s far from alright.

‘His biggest battle now is his mental health. Louie’s lost his emotional control and sense of danger. He’s afraid of the dark and has nightmares four or five times a week.’

He also struggles with fatigue and left-sided weakness. ‘He doesn’t always realise when he’s tired, which makes it hard to explain when he needs to rest.’

Louie’s stroke has affected the whole family. His mum, Lindsey, left work to care for him full-time, while Ben supports the family and their four boys.

‘While Louie was in hospital, I had to make sure he was okay and I never thought about myself,’ says Lindsey. ‘I started having panic attacks. I didn’t know how to deal with something so traumatic and had to admit I needed help.’

Counselling helped Lindsey to process what had happened. Support at home and school is also helping the family to navigate difficult moments together. ‘Understanding how Louie’s processing and emotions work is helping us to know how to help him,’ says Lindsey.

Louie’s determination shines through every challenge. ‘He’s strong-willed, brave, and he never gives up,’ says Ben proudly.

Despite doctors warning he might never walk or play football again, in summer 2025, Louie reached a huge milestone. At a football match organised to raise money for his physiotherapy, Louie walked unaided onto the pitch and he kicked off the game by passing the ball to his dad.

‘I was so proud,’ says Ben. ‘Having goals has been super important to Louie. It motivated him to work towards passing the ball. Now he plays football with two pan-disability groups. It’s amazing how far he’s come.

‘When he was in hospital, I never imagined we’d get here. He may never play professionally, but we keep going with new goals, new dreams. At this point I wouldn’t put anything past him!’

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Louie stars in our film to raise awareness that a stroke can happen at any age.

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Stroke News magazine

This article is featured in the summer 2026 edition of our magazine, Stroke News. Subscribe to our future editions available in print, on audio CD or via email.