A CRAMLINGTON father is sharing his experience of stroke to encourage others to get their health checks.
The date 16 March 2025 will be remembered by many Newcastle United fans, but for Mark Todd, 43, it will be remembered as the day his life changed.
Mark was at the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley when he suffered a stroke.
“I must be the only man who went away for the match and came home months later with a new baby and a new house!” he jokes.
“I was at the match and my knees started to feel weird,” Mark explains.
“The man next to me went to get the medics. I heard Dan Burn score the first goal as I was having a seizure.
“I kept thinking ‘oh god, my unborn son is going to grow up without his dad’. The next thing I knew I was surrounded by doctors.”
Mark was taken to Charing Cross Hospital and was diagnosed with a stroke before the match had even finished.
Meanwhile, wife Kate, 38, was back home five months pregnant.
On hearing the news, Kate, her sister and ex-brother-in-law drove down to London as quickly as they could.
Mark was in Charing Cross Hospital for 12 nights while Kate stayed in an Airbnb. “I was visiting Mark every day and different family members came to stay with me to keep me company,” she said.
“Our family and friends have been so incredibly supportive the whole time.”
Mark was moved from London to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) in Cramlington.
He then went to Wansbeck General Hospital, where he stayed for 10 weeks.
“I was in a ward full of elderly people and was the youngest in there for a long time,” Mark said.
“A doctor asked if I’d heard of Walkergate Park. At first, I thought it was a retirement home and I said I’m not doing that! But when I heard more about it and the work they do here, I thought get me in.”
Part of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), Walkergate Park provides services for people with a disability caused by injury or disease affecting the brain, spinal cord or muscles.
Mark was told there was a two to three month waiting list but just a couple of weeks later, a room was available. He had to be medically stable and was then transported to Walkergate Park.
Mark arrived on a stretcher. He couldn’t walk, couldn’t sit up for long and was being fed through a tube. Within two weeks of being at Walkergate Park, he was eating some food again.
Mark has been doing a range of therapies since he arrived in June, including neuro physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
He has been learning to cook and make drinks, as well as how to change a nappy and prepare a bottle.
“I’ve always wanted to be an involved dad and the stroke hasn’t changed that,” Mark said.
Kate gave birth to Emmett Oliver Stephen Todd four months ago. He is named Stephen after the person who got help at the match when Mark was having his stroke. “I credit him with saving my life, it was the least we could do.”
Described as their ‘miracle baby’, Emmett is the couple’s first child after a number of miscarriages.
Staff at Walkergate Park worked with NSECH to make sure Mark was at the birth.
“We knew Kate was having a C-section on a set date,” Mark explained. “It was so important for me to be there.”
He was provided with a wheelchair taxi and private ambulance to get to NSECH. Walkergate Park staff accompanied Mark in case he needed anything. He was on a soft food diet and NSECH had prepared a special meal for him.
When Emmett was born Mark had been doing Bobath therapy, an intense form of therapy with three physios.
“Once I knew Emmett was here safe and well, I needed to get back to hospital to carry on with therapy. I started it so was determined to finish it and knew I needed to crack on,” Mark said.
Mark is recovering well. He is working on taking steps and can sit up in his wheelchair and move around.
He said: “I’m getting closer to doing things for myself, like dressing and cleaning my teeth. I can get my words out and be understood.
“There was a point where I didn’t think I was going to be anything other than a vegetable. I felt I was useless and worthless. I felt like I wasn’t there for Emmett.”
Mark describes Walkergate Park as “a building full of good people”.
“It’s like a family here, they can’t do enough for you.”
Kate has been able to visit Mark outside of normal visiting hours around when Emmett sleeps.
The couple have given a gift to each of the hospitals that have cared for Mark. They gave hand creams to nurses in London, a coffee machine for the ward at Wansbeck and therapy dolls for Walkergate Park.
Mark added: “I want to try and leave everywhere I’ve been a little bit better. You look after me and I’ll look after you.”
Mark has been coming home on weekends since August and has seen small improvements each time.
Mark has one aim. “When I’m discharged, I intend to walk out that doorway. I might have to be wheeled to the door but I’m walking out of it.”
Kate added: “We’re looking forward to Mark being able to be independent and enjoy life again. We’ve waited a long time for this baby, we’ve been together 19 years, so we want to spend time and enjoy it.”
Mark is also keen to go back to work. He has a computer in his hospital room and is getting a laptop so he can practice typing.
Now he’s recovering, Mark insists people attend any health checks they’re invited to.
Mark’s stroke was caused by a narrow renal artery to his kidney.
He said: “A stroke can happen at any age and it terrified me. I was invited for my over 40s check but didn’t go. If I’d gone, they would have spotted my high blood pressure and the cause of it.
“If they find something, they can do something about it. So just go and get checked. It might save your life.
“This has been the worst year of my life and I don’t want something like this to happen to anyone else.
“There’s already a long waiting list for Walkergate Park, don’t be part of that waiting list.”