'I'm glad my miracle stroke treatment is now available 24/7'

When Gemma O'Hara woke up in the night with "intense pain" in her neck, sickness and vertigo she knew something was "not right".

The 40-year-old had suffered a brain stem stroke, which in some cases can be fatal.

But Gemma was given a medical procedure called a thrombectomy, which she said not only saved her life, but was a "miracle treatment" that improved her recovery.

"If I didn't get it in time, I wouldn't be the way I am now."

Until recently thrombectomies, which remove blood clots and restore blood flow to the brain, were only available at certain times of the day in parts of Northern Ireland, but after a £5m investment they can now be carried out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Ballymena woman had the stroke in September 2025 and said that while her symptoms were not the classic ones, she knew she needed medical help.

By the time she arrived at Antrim Area Hospital, she had numbness, could not walk or talk and felt "locked in my body".

The mother-of three was given special clot-busting medication (thrombolysis) before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for a thrombectomy.

A stroke happens when an artery becomes blocked by a blood clot which cuts off the blood and oxygen supply to the brain.

If not fatal, it can leave a stroke patient with long-term issues like paralysis or speech difficulties.

To lessen the effects of a stroke, the blood clot needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Sometimes that can be done with thrombolysis – a medication injected into the vein to dissolve the clot.

If more intervention is needed then doctors can carry out a thrombectomy, which is a surgical procedure where a thin plastic tube is inserted into the patient's femoral artery - usually through the groin.

Special dye and an x-ray machine is used by the doctor to guide a catheter to the blockage in the brain and physically remove it.

Gemma said that within minutes of having her thrombectomy she was "sitting up, back to myself again" and waiting for her family to arrive.

"It's a miracle treatment because I was so unwell and for something that can happen fairly quickly like that, and to recover so well, it's amazing."

She said having a stroke was "so unexpected" and was a "big shock".

"I was always working, going to the gym and trying to look after myself."

Until last month the regional thrombectomy service in Northern Ireland was only available between 08:00 and 17:00 and Gemma said one of her "biggest fears" had been the possibility of having another stroke during the night.

The expanded service, which began on 14 September, means the time a stroke occurs is no longer a barrier to accessing treatment.

She said the 24/7 service gives her "peace of mind" if it happened again.

Dr Patricia Gordon, a stroke consultant at Belfast Health Trust said the most severe type of strokes can leave a patient with "significant disability" depending on where the blockage is.

"It could be weakness down one side, loss of speech or sometimes loss of function altogether."

But she said carrying out a thrombectomy as quickly as possible can increase their chances of making a good recovery and reduce their risk of dying.

"You're going from a very dependent state to a nearly independent state again by more than 50% if you can get the clot out in good time."

"It is just life transforming for somebody to have this treatment and not have disability."

The expansion means 300 thrombectomy procedures could be carried out every year - doubling the previous capacity of the service.

Gordon said having it 24/7 means it is available to all patients and there will be staff there to perform it.

"If you have any stroke-like symptoms, don't delay, get to your local hospital. You'll get very good treatment and if you need a thrombectomy - day or night - then we're here."

The service is delivered at the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast through a regional pathway involving stroke teams at the Causeway, Antrim Area, Royal Victoria, Ulster, Craigavon Area, Daisy Hill, Altnagelvin and South West Acute hospitals.

According to the Department of Health, about 3,000 people have a stroke each year in Northern Ireland, which is one person every three hours.

Official figures for 2024 show there were 883 deaths caused by strokes, while more than 43,000 stroke survivors live in the community.

Health Minister Robbie Butler said Northern Ireland is the first of the UK nations to provide a 24/7 thrombectomy service for its entire population, which he described as a "landmark moment".

"Thrombectomy is one of the most significant advances in modern stroke medicine and can dramatically improve a patient's chances of recovery," he added.

Gemma said the expansion of the regional thrombectomy service is "amazing" because of the difference it made to her recovery.

"You have to get treated so fast. You can't let time go past when it's to do with your brain."