John Griffiths, or ‘Griffo’ as he’s known to his friends, has always been a lover of sport, especially soccer. When he went almost blind from stroke, the damage changed the course of his life.
During an operation to remove a brain tumour, John developed a bleed on the brain and suffered a stroke which left him with very limited sight.
The 65-year-old played with a local soccer team in Rockingham until his mid-fifties, and then when he developed a knee problem, he switched to golf.
I was devastated, I was still working. Instead of going back to my job, I had a period of nearly a year and a half convalescing. I spent 7 and a half months in hospital. I admit I hit a real low and I am ashamed to say I even felt suicidal.
John Griffiths
VisAbility client
Personalised program of exercise physiology
Four and a half years on, John is a different man and has emerged from his dark days following the stroke which caused vision loss. He’s had a tremendous amount of support and is now a regular at our Exercise Clinic at VisAbility.
“I’ve been coming to the clinic for more than two years and absolutely love it, I’d say it’s the highlight of my week. It’s amazing how it has improved my strength” he explains.
“I had already had some initial physiotherapy, but the exercise physiology has meant I’m improving my muscle mass for better movement function,” explains John.
Kane puts John through his paces every week
Kane Perris, VisAbility Therapy Assistant has been overseeing his program and the two of them have struck up a good rapport. John is a highly motivated client and has made excellent progress.
“I have an ambition to run again to be able to lift my legs. I like all the pieces of equipment, but the seated row is my favourite because it is making my upper back stronger and improving my biceps. It certainly makes me feel good,” adds John.
“That’s no surprise,” Kane says. “He’s releasing endorphins, ‘feel-good’ chemicals which are happiness boosters”.
With John the stroke led to some muscular imbalances. Muscles surround every joint in the body. They produce and control movement, so if one side is weak then it causes problems. We’ve developed a personal program targeted to improve his areas of weakness.
Kane Perris
VisAbility Therapy Assistant
Leading an independent life
John has a great support network; he is very close to his two sons who live in the Pilbara. He credits them for his diagnosis.
“On a visit, I was sitting by the pool and one of them said ‘Dad, you’ve got no hair on your legs.’ When I was next at the doctors, I brought it up and before I knew it, I’d been diagnosed with a massive brain tumour and was in the operating theatre within eight days.”
“No words can explain how I felt when the operation didn’t go to plan, but I’m still here and my therapy has been amazing.”
John has very limited sight and can only see a bit of colour, with most objects he can just make out shadows and shapes. Once out of hospital, because of ongoing support, he moved into a retirement village which he says was difficult to adjust to.
“At the age of 61, that’s hard to take, moving into a retirement village. I’ve always socialised with people younger than me and always felt young at heart. I was into sport and being active, so it was a big adjustment for me. I have settled now and feel far happier, many residents are now friends.”
He has ongoing support from the staff and fellow clients at VisAbility. John’s learnt more about his iPhone through our Assistive Tech team and how he can use it to his advantage. He’s also received hydrotherapy and physiotherapy as well as receiving initial orientation and mobility support.
John says exercise physiology has helped him mentally as well as physically
John’s regular day for exercise physiology is on a Thursday morning. He has lunch and then goes onto a woodworking class in the afternoon. He takes the train from Mandurah with his support worker.
“I enjoy coming here, this is like an extended family and it’s great for me socially.”
Book of life
Spurred on by a friend, John has now written his life story and is in the throes of finding a publisher. He says it’s a book for all those who’ve supported him. The launch will take place at the Meadow Springs Retirement Village in Mandurah.
“When times get tough, you really notice who your friends are. I have a full life now; I play croquet and I play darts. It’s an odd sport to play when you have hardly any sight, but my friends spur me on ‘Come on Griffo!’ they say.
I could never resist a challenge and my vision loss hasn’t stopped me.”
Funding for exercise physiology is available through the NDIS.
How to get support
Please complete the form below to make an initial enquiry if you have vision loss after stroke to learn more about our low vision services and support we can provide. Our Client Experience Team will contact you to discuss your individual needs both now and into the future.
If you are a provider and wish to refer a client, please use our low vision medical certificate (online referral form) to make your referral.