Jo Smith
A passionate, loving, and deeply committed individual, Jo is the main player in her husband Geoff’s A-Team.
On 28th March 2019, Jo and Geoff’s life changed forever. Jo found Geoff collapsed on the floor as he was suffering a large haemorrhagic stroke.
Jo was terrified by what she could only describe as a freak incident, saying: “He went to the gym three times a week, didn’t have high blood pressure or cholesterol, he has never smoked, ate reasonably healthy and drank alcohol in moderation.” He was quickly rushed to Queen’s Hospital in Romford where he underwent a lifesaving Craniectomy, a procedure where surgeons remove a part of the skull in order to relieve pressure on his brain.
Alireza Shoakazemi, Neurosurgeon for the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust, said:
“Geoff was referred from his local hospital following a bad stroke as we’re a specialist neurosurgical and stroke centre.”
“We decided to undertake a decompressive craniectomy.”
“This operation involves removing a large segment of the skull, to allow space for the stroke-damaged brain to swell into, reducing the spread of damage to the rest of the brain, reducing the risk of further disability or death.”
“On arrival, he was a little worse than expected, so he underwent emergency resuscitation and life-saving surgery.”
“Thanks to support from our nurses, therapists and medical staff, Geoff’s early recovery has surpassed expectations.”
Jo added: “Geoff now only really has the right side of his skull and a little on the left. He remained in neuro-critical care for 11 days, before being transferred to the acute ward at Queen’s Hospital.”
This is where Jo has demonstrated her super-powers as Geoff’s wife and a crucial element to Geoff’s recovery journey. Jo is with Geoff 5 out of 7 days per week making the trip from their home in Essex to Queens Hospital in London. Jo spends the days encouraging Geoff to push his physical and cognitive recovery boundaries and has set up a social page: Geoff’s Journey which charters Geoff’s daily activities.
When Jo heard about a Stroke of Luck, she immediately made contact to find out more about what the charity planned to do and how she could get involved.
After speaking with Craig over the ‘phone, Jo became extremely passionate about the charity and what it aims to achieve. As a passionate gym-goer, Jo feels that ASL will be a great support vehicle for Geoff’s ongoing recovery.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Jo join our Ambassador Team as the first Supporter Ambassador, said Craig Pankhurst Founder & CEO”. “Jo’s support of Geoff is remarkable, and in the short time I have known Jo, her support or A Stroke of Luck is simply amazing. Jo has already gained a significant number of followers to our social pages by sharing our information. This is exactly what we want to see from our Ambassadors.”
Welcome to the Team, Jo.