ABSTRACT
In this chapter, a teenager provides a first-hand account of her and her family’s longer-term adjustment to her mother’s severe haemorrhagic stroke. The impact of COVID-19 on families and stroke survivors is also explored. The chapter further considers the difficulties inherent in providing a coherent account of the ongoing trauma of a parents’ stroke. There is acknowledgement that memory and identity are fragmentary, especially for teenagers trying to come to terms with a life-changing traumatic event. The chapter highlights the importance of the non-judgemental acceptance of some of the selfish, angry or otherwise less than perfect ways in which teenagers may sometimes cope with a parent’s illness or stroke. The chapter concludes with consideration of the ongoing challenges involved in the “ambiguous loss” of a parent, at a time when teenagers are trying to build a sense of their own identity. The importance of acceptance – of oneself, one’s family and of one’s situation – are also explored.
