'No point in crying'- Waterford woman 'thriving' after sudden stroke left her disabled

Nora Goodwin has spoken out about life after a sudden stroke left her disabled 12 years ago. She is a beacon of light and hope for many people that no matter what happens in life, you can still be positive and happy.

Nora has bravely shared her story with Spoke Out by Irish Wheelchair Association, to inspire people and show others how she is thriving after the horrific stroke.

She said that she owes her happiness and positivity to being a member of the Waterford IWA centre for the last ten years.

She first started going into the centre after the very serious and "out of the blue" stroke left her permanently needing a wheelchair.

Nora still remembers vividly the hours leading up to the moment her life changed forever. It was a regular day for her and she was just back from walking her dog and her kids had returned from school.

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“I went for a walk with the dog that morning, the three kilometre walk that I always did, and came home. My children came home from school for their lunch, and after they left again, I went out the back. They found me three hours later after collapsing.”

Nora spent a year after her stroke in various hospitals undergoing rehabilitation which was a very difficult time for her.

Fast forward to today, Nora is thriving.

She has a brilliant life in Tramore with family and loved ones nearby. She has three children and two grandchildren, and she recently bought her own one bedroom home, according to a piece by Spoke out.

After suffering a stroke out of the blue, Nora is determined not to dwell too much on everyday worries and stress.

“I kind of say, forget about it Nora, put it out of your mind,” she said.

Nora’s life has changed significantly in the years since her stroke, and one way it has changed is that she’s found a beautiful community in IWA Waterford.

“I always think since I had my stroke, I would never have met the people who I have met because of the stroke,” Nora said.

“All these friends at IWA, everyone I meet, they’re just fabulous, fantastic people, and I wouldn’t know them otherwise. So in that way, I’m quite happy that I had the stroke because it’s after giving me a beautiful life, a brilliant life.”

She adds: “It’s the best way of looking at it because there’s no point in crying.”

Caroline Lacey, Services Manager at IWA Waterford, said that Nora has made new friends, embarked on new hobbies, and found new connections through IWA.

“Nora’s whole persona and life has changed since she came into IWA – from a woman who thought that sitting in her living room was all she had to look forward to for the rest of her life to now, she’s open to everything.

"She takes part in a lot of our classes – art, cooking, she goes for coffee with the ladies, she goes shopping, and she goes to the women’s group. She’s very much involved in IWA.”

Caroline added “She’s a bundle of joy, she’s a lot of laughter, she has a good heart…Nora sees the good in everything.”