Nathan Nguyen thought the life-changing stroke he experienced in 2017 was the greatest challenge he would ever face, and then he became a dad.
The Royal Australian Airforce Engineer was working at a military expo in Adelaide when a 65-kilogram aircraft camera slipped and hit him on the neck, causing a carotid artery dissection.
“I was treated at the scene and then at a local hospital. It looked like the worst of it was a lacerated ear and a headache. I experienced a facial droop and slurred speech while in the emergency department but that resolved,” Nathan said.
“My ear was patched up and I was sent home. Later that night I suffered a stroke which left me with severe left-sided paralysis.”
Nathan was placed into an induced coma and underwent a craniectomy where a large portion of his brain was removed.
“It was touch and go for a while. My wife Kerrie was given quite a grim prognosis, they said I would never walk or talk again. But after five months of intense rehab, I walked out of hospital,” Nathan said.
Three years after his stroke, Nathan became a dad to Arthur. He’s now preparing to celebrate his second Father’s Day.
“There have been a number of challenges being a single-handed dad, early on it was carrying him, nappy changes and feeding. Now Arthur is outpacing me – he’s moving around and can communicate which makes it easier,” he said.
“I thought my recovery was the hardest thing I have ever done, but being a dad has provided an equal level of challenge. It’s testing but I have always been happy to rise to the challenge and this is the latest one.”
He has returned to work fulltime and continues to juggle ongoing rehab while raising a toddler.
Nathan is one of more than 140,000 working aged Australians (aged 18-65) living with the impacts of stroke. He wants people to know that it is not something that just impacts older Australians.
“I was aware of the F.A.S.T (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) signs of stroke but I didn’t think it would happen to me,” he said.
“My message to other young survivors of stroke is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I believe in the RAAF’s motto which translates to ‘Through Struggle to the Stars.'”
