Ralph’s 70th Northern Fundraiser At A Stroke

Having a Stroke is an extremely frightening experience, I can personally attest to that.

I got up one morning feeling fine, I was going to a kitchen designer's showroom and was on the phone confirming the appointment when after saying hello I found I could not speak I had suffered a stroke that quick.

My son's stroke 12 years earlier, was just bad luck, a freak accident he got hit in the neck with a squash ball that caused a dissected collateral archery, which unfortunately was a life-threatening stroke. We were told if he survives he would never walk or be likely to talk again or work, and spent 12 months in hospital. Adam will be at the event, the interesting thing was Adam couldn’t talk for 6 months but could sing Motown songs which he loves lol. The power of music I guess, and Motown lol

So raising money for The Stroke Association people is a very, very, personal mission for me, Adam has never worked since, but still to this day uses the local Stafford Stroke Association events to go and enjoy.

Music, our music people has the power to move us, to inspire us, to heal us, and to bring us together. It has the ability to lift our hearts and connect us with one another, and when we hear a song we love, and that beat gets going our emotions are stirred.

The power of Northern Soul music is something we experience immediately, but it goes far beyond that immediate experience. When we hear that music, our hearts beat faster and our emotions are stirred, our feet start tapping, one of the effects of my stroke is I have lost my sense of balance so I have to continually watch the floor, we feel the need to move, to align in some magical way with that song, to dance maybe, music helps us connect, to be close, and feel a part of something bigger, something special.

Music has the power to transform our lives, create memories, and bring a smile to our faces, and Northern Soul music brings us together as a community, NSTV is evidence of that. It has become the soundtrack to our lives. I for one am so grateful to have had it in my life for so long.

So my mission for this event is two-fold, to raise a lot of money for The Stroke Association, and on my 70th Birthday celebrate with my family and friends and create memories that will bring me joy till the day the grim reaper puts on his dancing shoes and drags me off some dancefloor whilst I am singing and dancing to I’m So Happy

As always Keep The Faith People because one day The Faith Will Keep You