Fighting Back: Lumka Mau-mau's Journey Through Stroke Recovery

Stroke survivor and advocate Lumka Mau-mau joined Bush Radio's Backchat to share her journey of recovery, resilience, and returning to work after a stroke changed her life.

It happened on the 5th of July 2023, a day like any other. Lumka went out to dinner with a friend, came home, and tidied up her house before locking the door for the night. That is the last thing she remembers. Moments later, she collapsed and lost consciousness. She woke up in a hospital room full of doctors and nurses, with her friend trying desperately to unlock her phone so they could reach her family. She could only recall four digits of her passcode before slipping into unconsciousness again. Two days later, she woke up in a hospital bed and a doctor explained what had happened: she had suffered a massive stroke that paralysed the right side of her body.

For Lumka, the diagnosis made little sense. She was young, active, and had none of the habits typically linked to stroke. She did not smoke, was not overweight, and considered her lifestyle a healthy one. There had been no warning signs that night, no headache or dizziness, nothing to suggest what was coming. Doctors later found her blood pressure dangerously high and had to bring it down before they could even consider surgery. In the end, a CT scan showed no damage requiring an operation, and she has remained on hypertension treatment ever since, still without a clear answer as to what triggered the stroke in the first place.

The road to recovery was, in her words, never easy. She described waking up every morning and crying because her mind could not connect with the right side of her body. She could not feel her own foot unless she looked down to find it. But she made a decision early on to stop crying and start working, driven by the thought of her son and everything she still had to live for. She began attending physiotherapy twice a week and used the time in between to keep training at home, watching videos of other stroke survivors for tips and techniques. She would often call Ben, an assistant at her physiotherapy practice, to come and show her additional exercises she could practise on her own.

Support, she said, made all the difference. Family, friends, healthcare workers, and colleagues all played a part in her healing, and she stressed that recovery is not something a person can do alone. It takes people who are willing to sit with the pain alongside you, she explained, people who understand what you are going through well enough to help you push through it.

Returning to work brought its own fears. Lumka remembers feeling anxious and unsure of herself, worried that she would be seen differently or judged as less capable than before. But she found that her colleagues met her with understanding rather than judgment, adjusting where needed and giving her room to work through tasks in her own way and at her own pace. She explained that recovery is not a straight line. Some days her body cooperates, and other days it feels as though she is starting over from nothing. Through it all, she has worked on accepting a new version of herself while still striving to become a little better each day.

Rebuilding her confidence took time too. She spoke about the moments of looking in the mirror and struggling to see a future for herself, and how reconnecting with the things that once brought her joy, including her sense of style, helped her find her footing again.

Lumka's message to anyone facing a similar struggle is one of patience and belief. She encouraged people not to give up, even on the days it feels impossible, and reminded listeners that support is available through family, friends, and organisations built for exactly this kind of journey. Healing, she said, is not about returning to exactly who you were before. It is about fighting for progress, trusting your own strength, and remembering that you are not alone in the process.

Lumka Mau-mau's story is a reminder that recovery from stroke is possible, even when the road ahead looks uncertain, and that resilience often grows strongest in the presence of real support.

Catch backchat on Bush Radio 89.5 FM bringing conversations that inform, inspire and connect communities across the world.