My Mum had a stroke when she was 68. When she was learning to walk it initially took three people to hold her up.She was lucky in that there was an excellent rehabilitation unit near where we live(closed now, of course). This unit catered for all patients who needed rehab. not just stroke patients. They were all ages and helped each other a lot. The only proviso was that, if you didn't try, you were asked to leave. My Mum died when she was 89. She went to visit my aunt in Chicago when she was 80. She never gave up despite lots of medical problems. Her next door neighbour had a subarachnoid and recovered- maybe it was something in the water. I once saw a programme on television about a hospital (I think in the USA) about a man who had a stroke, was taken straight to hospital, given an angiogram to establish whether he had a bleed or a clot, it was a clot so he was given a clot buster and then he started to talk and use his arm and leg. Maybe one day there will be something that can be done that quickly available in the ambulance, I know it's a long shot! At our surgery there's a lovely lady who had a stroke when she had her son. She used to have to pick him up one handed by his clothes. Still, if you saw the scan you know what's what and it is tragic. it's a strange job really, being spat at, etc, called out to drunks, drug addicts and time wasters and then to a case like this.Still, if it didn't affect you, you really would be a hard old bastard!