Fiona had a stroke in August of 2019, at the age of 33. She was discharged into her mum’s care with very little medical support, and as a direct result of this, Fiona is very passionate about advocating for better services for stroke survivors post-discharge from hospital. By sharing her experience Fiona provides guidance and peer support to other stroke survivors within Ireland as they embark and progress through their stroke recovery journey. Fiona is keen to raise awareness among medical professionals and the general public of the hidden difficulties stroke survivors face on a day-to-day basis.

Fiona represents stroke patients on CLASP’s (Co-designing Life after Stroke Support Pathways) PPI Advisory Panel and has taken part in different focus groups and medical research projects in RCSI, UCD and University of Limerick. Fiona is a Patient Representative on PHECC’s (Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council) Community Paramedic Standards Development Committee. She is also a Patient Rep. on PHECC’s PPI Education Roadmap Project. Fiona also represents Patients/Service Users on the HSE’s Better Together: Building Meaningful Partnerships in our Health Service. She is also a member of the Steering Group Patient Empowerment Programme. Fiona volunteers regularly with the Irish Heart Foundation within the Young Stroke Survivor’s Support Group. She also represents Young Stroke Survivors in Ireland on the Irish Heart Foundation’s Stroke Service Improvement Group. Fiona graduated as a Patient Champion for the Irish Heart Foundation in 2023. Fiona won the Patient Advocacy Volunteer Supporting Stroke Award as well as overall Volunteer Supporting Stroke Award at the Irish Heart Foundation’s National Volunteer Conference in November 2023.

Fiona has presented to the Joint Committee on Disability Matters within The Oireachtas about the difficulties of living as a Stroke Survivor and the lack of services for patients within Ireland upon discharge from hospital. She has been interviewed on numerous radio stations and written articles that have appeared in Irish publications. Fiona presented at the Stroke Alliance for Europe conference in Rome in September 2023. Fiona took part in a panel talk on “Discussing Disabilities” for The Psychological Society of Ireland in October 2023. She presented at the European Life After Stroke Conference in March 2024 and chaired a panel discussion of Stroke Survivors during the plenary “A Showcase of life after stroke support in Ireland”. Fiona also spoke at the Joint Stroke Nursing and Early Supported Discharge Network study day in October 2024. Fiona also took part in a PPI round table discussion about a Vision for Stroke Care in Ireland at the iPASTAR (Improving Pathways for Acute Stroke and Rehabilitation) International Conference and Symposium in November 2024.