By Mikayla van Loon
Sharing a message of hope after stroke has been a passion of Nicole Gallacher’s ever since she experienced a stroke in early 2019.
Now the Mount Evelyn mother has made it into the finalists for the 2023 Stroke Foundation
Stroke Awards thanks to a nomination from her husband Dave.
Feeling extremely surprised and overwhelmed by the nomination, Ms Gallacher said for it to have come from someone so close to her is even more special.
“It makes me very emotional. I always knew he understood what I was going through but this puts that on another level and it makes me appreciate him so much more,” she said.
“It’s just very nice to know that he’s fighting this with me and he’s been with me every step of the way. He’s such a big support but the fact he can recognise how much of a fight this has been, I just feel incredibly lucky.”
As one of 18 finalists across six categories, Ms Gallacher is up for the Courage Award, recognising the “courage and hope shown by survivors and carers in stroke recovery”.
Whether the awards night on Thursday 4 May goes in her favour or not, Ms Gallacher said it has given her another opportunity to spread the word about life after stroke and all the possibilities.
“This feels incredibly humbling but the mindset that I’ve always had is that I want to show people that there is life after stroke and yes, it’s a very big setback but you can still have a very good life afterwards, if you put in the hard work,” she said.
“This just gives me another avenue to send that message. It’s such an honour to be nominated for it and be a finalist for it but it also helps me spread that message that things can be OK.”
Ms Gallacher has been incredibly open about losing her first unborn child during the stroke, the struggles of recovery and the joy of welcoming baby Gus at the end of 2022.
“If being a finalist helps spread my message and helps someone else, my story could resonate with someone or if there’s someone else who’s had a stroke who still wants to have a child and to know that they can.”
Stroke Foundation Interim Chief Executive Officer John De Rango congratulated all 18 finalists and thanked them for their dedication to supporting the Foundation.
“We are thrilled to be able to recognise so many worthy recipients. The Stroke Awards are our way of saying thank you for your time and dedication to the stroke community,” Mr De Rango said.
“I am blown away by the calibre of the nominees. It features a diverse group of Australians who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of those affected by stroke.”
Stroke strikes the brain and changes lives in an instant. More than 27,000 Australians have a stroke each year, which equates to one every 19 minutes.
While Ms Gallacher is still recovering, she said it can only get better with time and she is determined to keep improving.
“I’ve still got a long way to go, particularly, physically and just with my balance and being able to walk, but I’m doing really well.”
