A mum who has been bedbound for six years since suffering a stroke has taken 10 important steps in her fight to walk again. Jayne Dallee from West Hull took the proud steps in front of the Humber Bridge on Sunday, supported by her partner, son and family and friends.
Jayne, 59, said: “I’m so proud of myself because I hate being like this. It felt well good, I was happy and proud.” She says the memory of her niece, Sarah, who took her own life aged 42 kept her going through the discomfort and helped her take the ten steps.
Jayne suffered a stroke six years ago, but her family was originally “none the wiser” to anything amiss. She experienced pain in her head and a trickling sensation.
Her daughter Chelsey said: “She had had an aneurysm and we were none the wiser to it. She kept complaining about this pain in her head and a trickle down her head. She couldn’t get out the bed, she’s very active usually.”
Then when in recovery after having surgery to put a stent in her brain, Jayne had a major stroke and was left paralysed on her left side. Her daughters Chelsey and Leona have been taking care of her ever since.
The loss of independence and inability to walk led to Jayne struggle with her mental health. But now she is determined to carry on with physio and learn to walk again.
Chelsey said: “I was so proud. She’s fed up in this bed, she’s limited and can’t do anything herself. It gets her down. She gets upset that she can’t cook and it messes with her own mental health.
“Sometimes she feels like she’s just existing. She’s really forced herself on this walk, she shouldn’t be at this stage. She was determined she did it against all the odds.
“She’s been provided with a frame, but she left it at home. Her husband was holding her leg, her carer’s husband was helping hold her up. Her son was at the other side. Without that support there was no way she’d be able to get her up. It took a lot of strength.”
Chelsey runs the charity Mysterious Minds, which supports grieving families in Hull after losing someone to suicide. Chelsey’s former partner, and the father of her son Jayden, took his own life 10 years ago. The charity was set up in Jamie’s memory and now helps families in the area who need support with grief and funeral arrangements.
Just last week, Mysterious Minds helped fund the funerals of four people in Hull who had taken their own lives.
Chelsey runs the charity alongside Dawn Stanfield, who lost her daughter Mollie to suicide. Jayne said she took the steps in memory of Sarah, Jamie and Mollie. Her 17-year-old grandson Jayden, Jamie and Chelsey’s son, was there to cheer her on.
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .