Stroke Awareness Month
This May is national Stroke Awareness Month, and we're getting involved to further educate and uplift the community about stroke, prevention methods and how to recognise the signs of stroke.
May newsletter 2025
By Stroke Aotearoa
May is Stroke Awareness Month - the perfect time to inform and uplift your community about stroke, prevention methods, and how to recognise the signs of stroke.
In this issue...
You'll learn ways to reduce your risk of stroke, find how to get involved in the Road to Recovery challenge, and discover a simple (and cost-free) way to look after you family's future.
Stroke Awareness: Quick tips to reduce your risk of stroke
It may surprise you to know that most strokes can be prevented. Up to 90% of strokes are linked to ten risk factors, many of which can be reduced (modified) such as high blood pressure, untreated atrial fibrillation, physical inactivity, poor diet, alcohol intake, and smoking.
One of the key ways you can reduce your risk of stroke is through healthy living. As well as regular exercise, this includes eating a balanced diet with lots of whole foods, keeping your alcohol intake low, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Other simple ways you can reduce your risk of stroke include getting your blood pressure checked, reducing your salt intake, quitting smoking, and getting checked for atrial fibrillation.
You can learn more about these, as well as other ways to reduce your risk of stroke, on our website.
Stroke Awareness: Knowing the signs of stroke
It's critical to increase your awareness of the signs of stroke. Together with Health New Zealand, we run the F.A.S.T. campaign, which encourages everyone to learn the signs of stroke.
F.A.S.T. stands for: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Take action - call 111.
It is vital to recognise when someone is having a stroke and get medical attention as soon as possible. The sooner medical treatment begins, the lower the risk that permanent brain damage occurs and there is a better chance of an excellent recovery. If you spot any of these signs, think F.A.S.T. and you could save a life.
Stroke Awareness: Support available for you
This Stroke Awareness Month, we want to highlight the resources available to stroke survivors, people who work with the stroke affected community, and anyone interested in learning more about stroke. Stroke Aotearoa runs a free helpline, 0800 STROKE (0800 78 76 53), where anyone – including whānau, caregivers, community workers, and health professionals – can get support and guidance.
You can also find free resources, or learn about free events we’re running, on the Stroke Aotearoa website.
Reminder: the Road to Recovery is happening this month!
It's not too late to get involved in our nationwide movement challenge, the Road to Recovery! We've teamed up with physiotherapist Mark Adams to challenge the public to get involved with the recovery of stroke survivors. Mark Adams is a physiotherapist based at Burwood Hospital who specialises in rehabilitation for stroke survivors.
The Road to Recovery
This May 2025, join us for a nationwide movement challenge. Track your minutes or kilometres and raise vital funds to support stroke survivors across Aotearoa.
Briar's story: why she's taking part in this challenge
Briar Kerapa's mum, Natalie, experienced two strokes when Briar was just a teenager. After her second stroke, the doctors told her she may never recover - but Natalie proved them wrong.
Now Briar is on a mission to raise awareness of stroke and highlight the incredible work stroke survivors put into their recovery.
A financial well-being tip, and our gift to you: Create your online will for FREE
Having an up-to-date will is one of the most important things you can do. A will reduces financial and emotional stress for you and your loved ones in the future. However, around 50% of New Zealanders do not have a valid will.
Stroke Aotearoa New Zealand has partnered with trusted online-will provider, Gathered Here. So, if you still need to create your will, or if you’d like to re-do an old will, this could be for you! It only takes 10 minutes, and is completely free of charge. And unlike many other services, you’ll have access to unlimited lifetime updates, so your will can grow and change with you.
Whether you're writing a will for the first time or updating an existing one, this is a meaningful way to take care of your future and the people who matter most. There is no obligation to include a gift in your will to Stroke Aotearoa, though the option is there if it feels right to you. This free will is a way we can say thank you to you for everything you do to help prevent stroke and improve the lives of stroke survivors and their whānau.
This May, please get involved with Stroke Awareness Month – whether that’s through signing up for the Road to Recovery, taking some steps to reduce your risk of stroke, or reaching out to our team for support. Together, we can build a stronger, healthier Aotearoa.
Noho ora mai, stay well
Jess Winchester
General Manager Marketing and Fundraising | Stroke Aotearoa New Zealand