IT is every parent's worst nightmare, that their child would suffer something as debilitating as a stroke.
But exactly a year after Lakyn Pratt's mum and dad Mikaela and Ethan endured the worst day of their life, it hit the Greta family again.
"Lakyn woke up in the middle of the night crying, he'd been sick, so he was in our bed with us when we noticed he was having a seizure. I called the ambulance immediately," Ms Pratt said.
"When we got to hospital, he was in emergency when Ethan noticed his right side had gone limp. Lakyn was sent for a CT scan where they confirmed he'd suffered from another stroke.
"He was moved into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, but they couldn't control the seizures, so the decision was made to place him into an induced coma to rest his brain to protect from swelling and further seizures."
Lakyn, who is now 21 months old, spent six days in intensive care, three days in an induced coma and a total of four weeks at the John Hunter Hospital.
He is one of 600 Australian children to have a stroke each year, and has inspired his parents to fundraise for the cause.
The couple have already raised $4000 in Stride4Stroke, which raises money for the Stroke Foundation. It involves participants setting a goal for daily moving minutes, or in their own stroke recovery, and being sponsored.
In August his first stroke was the start of a long recovery for Lakyn, who began weekly therapy with a paediatric brain injury rehabilitation team.
He was sent to Sydney for a week of testing, where he was diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare neurological condition that affects about one in a million people.
This condition led to him having two surgeries to increase blood flow to the brain, and the stroke left him unable to use his left hand.
Despite his ordeal, his mum said he was "so happy and always smiling".
After his second stroke, Ms Pratt said her son was "such a fighter".
"When he was discharged and finally back home, he was surprising everyone by starting to crawl and stand up by himself," Mikaela said.
"That's why Ethan and I decided to take part in Stride4Stroke this year. We want to make more people aware of childhood stroke, and to raise funds to develop resources for childhood survivors of stroke and their families."
"We started our moving minutes in hospital, but now we are home and walking the boys around the local estate each day."
Stroke Foundation chief executive officer Dr Lisa Murphy said the Pratt family's determination had been inspiring during Lakyn's recovery.
"Stroke doesn't discriminate. It affects anyone at any time, even unborn babies," Dr Murphy said.
"We regularly hear from families like the Pratt's that there's a lack of help after childhood stroke, and that's why fundraising is so important to bridge that gap.
"The funds raised by the Pratt family will go directly towards the Stroke Foundation work in childhood stroke."
To donate, head to stride4stroke.org.au.
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