From wife TO CARER

After Mel Elliott's husband suffered a brain injury, their relationship changed drastically and irreparably

- JOHANNA BELL

When my husband and I planned our retirement, we dreamed of buying a little bolthole abroad and reclaiming some of the time we'd spent bringing up children and working long hours by enjoying sun-drenched days on the beach and lazy lunches. But that dream was stolen from us.

Now, after suffering a series of strokes, my husband, who I've loved deeply for 15 years, is no longer the man I fell for.

From the very moment I met Andy, then 36, in January 2008, I loved him. I was a single mum to two sons, then 13 and 11, and I'd just graduated with a master's from the Royal College of Art when we were introduced through mutual friends. Within months, the boys and I had moved in with Andy. Shortly after, I discovered I was pregnant, with our daughter Pearl arriving in January 2009, and we married the following year.

As a family, we loved going on fun days out and holidays with the children, and as they got older, Andy and I enjoyed socialising with friends and hosting dinner parties, as well as quiet, quality time together.

By September 2023, my boys had left home and Pearl, then 14, was becoming more independent. Our thoughts turned to the future. Andy and I started having conversations about what we'd do once Pearl had flown the nest, downsizing our home in Hastings to free up some money and enjoying our retirement.

But after returning from a meeting at Pearl's school, Andy told me he wasn't feeling well. I watched as, before my eyes, his speech slurred and his face dropped on one side. Immediately recognising the symptoms of a stroke, I knew I had to act fast and drove him straight to A&E at Conquest hospital in Hastings.