A WOMAN survived a massive stroke thanks to her quick-thinking brother and Southend Hospital.

On any other day, the huge blood clot in Liz Bagshaw’s brain would have probably killed her. But thanks to a startling series of coincidences she is here to tell her story.

Normally Ms Bagshaw, 60, would have been alone at her home in a rural village. But a huge tennis fan, she had come to stay with her brother Jim Grigg in Leigh in order to watch Murray at the ATP World Tour finals in London.

On Saturday, November 14, they were having breakfast together when she started to show the symptoms of a stroke.

Mr Grigg recognised she was having a stroke and immediately called an ambulance.

She has now thanked him and the team of staff at Essex’s only hyper acute stroke unit at Southend Hospital.

Ms Bagshaw said: “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jim. I really can’t thank him enough. It’s hard not to think of how things could have ended up so very different If I’d been at home alone or driving the car to or from the airport.”

Their parents both died of strokes and it’s been a spectre that has long played on Ms Bagshaw’s mind as she approached 60, the same age her mother died.

Mr Grigg said: “She’d even said to me, I know I’m going to have a stroke at 60, just like mum. That day though I believe our mum was watching over us.

“We were just sat having breakfast and Liz’s face started to drop a little in front of me. I initially thought she was just tired but when I took some dishes to the kitchen she fell down after trying to get up. She had no strength in her legs and I knew it was a stroke right away.”

Her stroke consultant was the award-winning, Dr Devesh Sinha, he said: “As a part of our new hyper acute stroke unit procedures the ambulance paramedics called the stroke doctor on their mobile whilst she was en route to the ambulance. A team led by a stroke consultant with medical and A&E doctors and nurses were waiting for Liz when she arrived in hospital.

“The outcome is rewarding to everyone involved, from Liz, her brother, the ambulance, A&E, the medical team, the radiographer and anaesthetics. Our work prevents people becoming disabled and dependent on health and social care, it’s fantastic seeing results like Liz where she is able to do most of the things she was able to do before.”

Ms Bagshaw has a long road of physio ahead and also assessing the impact the stroke will have on her life long term.

Ms Bagshaw is a keen piano player and even teaches in her spare time so hopes to use it as part of her rehabilitation.

She said: “Everyone at Southend’s stroke unit has been patient, kind and amazingly up-to-date in this area of medicine, I just can’t thank the dedicated staff enough.”