Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is backing an NHS drive to improve stroke care for young people.
The actress, who suffered a devastating stroke eight years ago, is an ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and has announced her suppoer for a programme to train more nurses to become specialists in neuro rehabilitation.
The plan will improve stroke care for those aged 18 to 40, both in the private sector and the NHS.
In March, Emilia revealed how she experienced a potentially fatal brain haemorrhage in 2011, explaining that she suffered a rare but life-threatening type of stroke and underwent surgery.
She then launched SameYou, a charity aimed at supporting young people with brain injuries and helping them access resources to aid recovery.
Now, she is backing the RCN’s nurse training programme, plus wider NHS plans to expand the number of centralised expert stroke teams.
The Royal College of Nursing Foundation will partner with SameYou to lead the rollout of a new education programme for nurses from 2020.
Emilia said: “I have an incredibly personal experience with nurses. There’s currently a lack of eyes on brain injury recovery.
“It’s the thing that brings people back to life. It’s the thing that gives people back their life.
“With specialist nurses, I know people can get back to themselves.”
Adding that a stroke is “something you never expect to happen, especially not in your 20s and 30s”, she said:“When you’re a young person experiencing it, the mental health aspects go unnoticed and that’s what I experienced.
“You need to be treated as a fully-rounded person and not just a list of symptoms.”
When Emilia was recovering, she was cared for by two specialist nurses and is calling for all other young people who’ve had a stroke to receive the same level of care.
“My goal is that a young person can have somebody they can feel vulnerable and open with and that person can help and make them feel safe,” she said. “If I can help a young person who was in the state I was in, I know they would be lifted and feel lighter in themselves.”
After discussing her health problems publicly for the first time, Emilia said she was “profoundly moved” by the responses from fans.
In late March, she wrote on Instagram: “A million million thank you’s to everyone who has read shared and sent love for my story, it’s a beautiful thing to behold and I can’t quite believe how many of you this has affected!”