Helping kids to understand parents' strokes

At the age of 34, Paul Fink had to relearn how to walk, talk, read and write.

A decade later, he is the co-author of a children's book based on his recovery from the devastating stroke that left the right side of his body paralysed.

"I decided to write the book partly because my eldest son was very young after my stroke happened and reading books with him was a huge part of my speech and language recovery," Mr Fink said.

"During this journey, I noticed that there is not much information about stroke out there aimed at kids and families."

The book, titled 'My Dad Had A Stroke' is the result of a partnership with Lauren Fletcher, a senior speech pathologist at Epworth HealthCare who has helped treat him over the years.

Formerly a super-fit marathon runner who worked as an IT project manager, Mr Fink has been a long-term outpatient rehabilitation patient at Epworth Richmond hospital in Melbourne since his stroke.

He was in a coma for two weeks and had to endure four brain surgeries, due to the undetected congenital condition that caused his ruptured aneurysm.

The father of three children has dedicated his life since then to raising stroke awareness, hosting a podcast on adversity and writing a blog for stroke survivors, and is now seeking a publisher for his book.

Written for primary school-aged children, the rhyming story is narrated by the child – who uses 'superhero' powers to navigate complex emotions to feel safe and build resilience.

It describes the experience of their dad's stroke, visiting him in hospital, and understanding how he had changed when returning home.

"My kids are now 10, six and two. In their eyes, dad is just normal – they didn't know me before the stroke," Mr Fink said.

"Our book is loosely based on my own experience. I worked hard to be independent; I had to relearn how to walk, talk, read, write, drive and deal with anxiety, epilepsy, vision issues and fatigue."

He also had to return to hospital in 2023 for surgery to improve the stability of his right ankle and help achieve his physical goals.

"While it focuses on challenges associated with stroke, the message of hope, acceptance and inclusion of people with a disability is important for all children," Mr Fink said of the book.

Ms Fletcher, who has more than 12 years' clinical experience in adult neurological rehabilitation, saidthey tried to make the book both educational and entertaining.

"Age-appropriate education materials for children whose parents have had a stroke are lacking, with only educational leaflets readily available," she said.

"With an estimated 142,000 Australians aged under 65 living with the impact of stroke, we know that includes a high number who are likely to be parents of young children, thus there is a need for a resource like this."

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