Having lost some of his closest family members by the time he was just nine years old, things didn't get much easier for Connor Lynes when he suffered two life-threatening strokes aged 14. Now with a child of his own, he is urging people to never give up.
Connor, who is now 21, was just one year old when his dad died and three when he stopped living with his mum. His grandmother then took over caring for him, and the young boy 'got on with it and pushed forward' until she also sadly passed away.
Connor was nine at the time and remembers how losing his grandma 'hurt more than anything', because he 'actually knew her and saw her as [his] mum'. He'd already gone through so much, but his nana 'always taught [him] to push forward in life' as 'that's how you get to a place you want to be'.
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Speaking to UNILAD, Connor, from Hull, says his losses forced him to mature early and made him 'a lot stronger' when it came to the things he would face later on in life. Little did he know at the time that it would be just a few years until he had to face one of his biggest challenges yet.
When he was 14 years old, Connor was playing a game of rugby when he got tackled by two bigger players. As he fell to the ground, he tore the main artery in his neck, which caused a blood clot resulting in two major strokes.
The strokes affected 'everything' for Connor, leaving him unable to walk, talk and eat. He 'basically couldn't do anything' at a time when his teenage self should have been taking on the world, and it took him nearly a year to get back on his feet and walking for short periods of time.
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He wasn't back in school until a year and a half after suffering the strokes, but during his recovery Connor realised there was hardly anyone under the age of 18 raising awareness of brain injuries in children.
Connor decided to shoulder this responsibility himself by becoming an ambassador for brain injury, educating the public that strokes and major brain injuries are not limited to adults, and proving such injuries don't have to be the 'end of the world' for young people. Now 21, Connor's work was recognised when he became a winner of the Diana Legacy Award, which every two years 'celebrates the achievements of 20 outstanding young leaders, visionaries and role models from across the world'.
The Legacy Award describes Connor as 'an incredible role model for determination, resilience, sheer grit, and passion', though he told UNILAD he doesn't 'see [himself] as inspiring'.
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'I just see myself as a lad from Hull who’s trying to help others who have been in the same situations as me,' he said.
Reflecting on his receipt of the award, Connor said: 'Winning the Diana Legacy Award was amazing because it showed my work was getting recognition and my word was getting out there. That’s all I wanted.'
He remembers feeling 'shocked' and as though he 'didn't deserve' the award, but his work proves otherwise. Connor has spoken at the House of Lords as well as to hundreds of professionals about his experience in a bid to improve the treatment on offer for other young people with an acquired brain injury, as well as having raised more than £20,000 for the charity Life for a Kid.
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Seven years on from his strokes, Connor still has a blood clot on the brain, which means he will be on medication for his entire life. He continues to experience 'mini strokes', as well as blurred vision, loss of control over his arms and legs and bad headaches.
In spite of these lasting symptoms, Connor's experiences have taught him there's 'always more to life'. Now that he is a father himself, he is determined to 'always be there for [his son] for anything' and to be the 'best dad [he] can be'.
The 21-year-old celebrated the milestone birthday last month after posting a now-viral tweet about how far he has come since his tumultuous childhood.
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He urged people to 'never give up' and 'believe in yourself' in the post, which received thousands of responses from supportive Twitter users. Connor explained that as well as raising his son, he will continue to try and put smiles on the faces of other young children who have shared similar experiences to his own, and 'be there with everything they need in life'.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Headway on 0808 800 2244, or via their email at [email protected]
Emily Brown