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‘Speaking was my life and livelihood, until one moment tore it all apart’
Steve Smith was a good talker. It was his life, and his livelihood.
From Baxenden in Hyndburn, had carved out a successful career as a motivational speaker. He ran his own business, Anthem Engagement.
But in November 2021, when Steve was on holiday with his wife, Karen, his would change forever in a moment.
Enjoying the sun in Florida, he was feeling unwell, but this was “nothing out of the blue” for the businessman, as he’d felt ill for a couple of years due to stress, hypertension and overworking. He told LancsLive he’d sometimes do 16 hour days over the course of 20 years.
Steve openly admits he never went to the doctors for his concerns and it was in Orlando airport that things took a turn for the worst. Initially, Steve thought he was feeling under the weather due to motion sickness from the long haul flight he’d endured. However, things turned more sinister when the 50-year-old collapsed and felt weak on his right-hand side, leaving Karen and a fellow passenger having to call 911.
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Steve told LancsLive that he had a “severe stroke” in the airport and “nearly died.” He was then told that the next 48 hours following the stroke were critical for him, as the “blood pressure machine was maxed out.”
For the following eight weeks, Steve remained in a hospital in Florida, with the medical bills coming to $680,000, but fortunately, he was able to pay off the debt through travel insurance. Spending two months in hospital, Steve underwent occupational, physio and speech and language therapy, before he was able to fly back to Lancashire in early 2022 and continue his recovery.
Steve said: “After my stroke I could literally only say one word and I couldn’t walk. It was so serious that therapists over there said I would never walk or talk again.”
He said his right-hand side was his dominant side, but after the stroke, it left him unable to write. It took him 18 months in total to learn how to walk, use his arm and speak again, but this still “isn’t great” in his words.
Steve’s speech problems are down to the condition he has as a result of the stroke – aphasia. Aphasia is a language and communication disorder that occurs when there’s been damage to the left side of the brain, usually after a stroke.
New research from the Stroke Association has revealed that over half of the British public, or 54%, have never heard of the disorder, despite it affected over 350,000 people in the UK. As a result, the charity have created a new documentary, ‘When the Worlds Away Went’, featuring three inspiring stroke survivors.
Regarding the condition, the person affected then has difficulty with their language or speech and for Steve, this was so severe that he was left embarrassed by his aphasia, that he refused to speak even when he could. Steve said: “Even though I could speak months after my stroke, I didn’t want to, I was too self-conscious about it.
“It was awful but the last few months I’m speaking again and enjoying it. What works well is having every day conversations – the more I do it, the more confident I get.
“I want to inspire others to practice speaking even if you’re embarrassed. The longer you do it, the better you become. I proved health professionals wrong who said I would never walk or speak again. The brain is amazing, it can adapt and you can too.”
The Stroke Association and NHS helped with Steve’s recovery, which was “long and hard” for the dad. Vitally, even 18 months later, Steve is still receiving help with his speech and physio, which has put a stop to his career.
A long and successful one, Steve worked hard to make the North West the best place to have a job, working with key organisations and individuals. In 2012, he was selected by David Cameron to be at the heart of the UK government’s flagship ‘Engage for Success’ initiative, where he was made a leading authority on how engagement can improve productivity, performance and profitability.
Steve said: “My business doing motivational speaking had to stop. I’ve had to recruit others like my daughter who left her teaching job to join the business. It’s so frustrating – I used to be on stage in front of 400 people doing motivational speaking. I’m desperate to get back up there.”
Now, Steve has set up an Aphasia Support Group to help him and others deal with the aftermath of a stroke. This is in its early days, but “seems to be working”, with the group meeting weekly at Napthens Solicitors in Blackburn.
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