Katie's story

Katie Stratton was a happy, healthy mum-of-two when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019, aged 29.

She had even been on holiday the week before her diagnosis, soaking up the August sun on a family holiday to Haven with her two kids Finley, now 15, and Emily, 10.

But after returning home to Bedford and getting ready for her sister’s birthday a few days later, Katie, now 35, said she “took a funny turn.”

“I couldn’t feel the righthand side of my face, my right arm and right leg”, she said.

“I was panicking and decided to phone an ambulance because I couldn’t really walk properly.”

Doctors diagnosed Katie with a benign Meningiomas brain tumour and operated within a matter of weeks to remove it.

“They said I’d had it for years without even knowing,” Katie said.

“Even though they managed to remove the tumour, it still affects me years later.

“Brain surgery is a massive thing, and it does change who you are. It is life changing.”

Katie is sharing her story as a part of Headway's Action for Brain Injury (ABI) Week 2025 On a good day campaign, which runs from May 19- 25.

This year’s campaign highlights the fluctuating nature of brain injury, with the effects manifesting differently day-to-day. Survivors may appear ‘better’ on some days and ‘worse’ on others.

Katie said: “On a good day I can go to the shop and dance around the house- I love my dancing!

“I have a lot more energy on a good day.

“I feel more able to do things- like different activities with the kids, meet my friends, go for a coffee or to different groups.”

On a ‘bad’ day Katie faces fatigue, achiness, headaches, and struggles with her concentrate and memory.

She said: “On a bad day I tend to stay in my bedroom more and try sleep.

“Life can get busy with two kids so I have to write everything down, so I don’t forget anything.

“My balance can be affected on a bad day. I fell at home in January and really hurt my knee, and had to go to A&E.

“I’ve now got a walking stick for walks outside, which helps physically, as well as with my confidence.”

Attending Headway Bedford has also boosted Katie’s confidence, connecting her with other brain injury survivors, who she says have become good friends.

“Headway Bedford has really helped me,” she said.

“I’ve been going there for two years now, and it’s helped me realise that the struggles I face are okay and there are different ways to work around them.

“I’ve even done cooking sessions there, which has helped with my confidence, as well as singing sessions.

“They have a singing group on Zoom, and we’ve all got brain injuries, and that really helps connecting with others.”

Katie is keen to raise awareness of the “invisible illness” of brain injuries.

She said:

Anyone would look at me and think ‘yeah you look fine’, but they don’t see the days I’m in bed or when I’ve got a headache.

“They also don’t see all the planning that goes into everything.

“I sit on a Sunday night and write everything down that we have to do that week- different appointments, meetings, physio, whether the kids have got P.E at school- so a lot of it is planning.”