In January this year, ten-year-old Grace went to school, then on to hip-hop dance class, did all her homework, made her own fruit salad before jumping in the car to go to gymnastics. She was all chat in the car about school and the places we would travel to if we won the lotto. Grace bounced into gymnastics chatting to her coaches about her upcoming competition.  

Grace did her full warm-up and then went over to the beam. She was very confident on the beam, but her coach noticed she was having difficulty getting onto it. She sat down, started crying and holding her head. She then began to have a seizure. Grace had never had a seizure before.  

Fortunately, her gymnastics coach is a doctor in St Vincent’s hospital. She recognised the signs of stroke at once and contacted the emergency services straightaway. 

Ambulance crews arrived and stabilised Grace and brought her to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin. Grace was still having seizures in A&E and a CT scan showed a bleed on the left side her brain. She was then transferred to Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street for emergency brain surgery. 

To read Grace's full story, click here.