Natasha Carayol, 40, suffered two strokes with doctors confirming it was due to high blood pressure that caused the aneurysm that ultimately led to it – she needed emergency brain surgery
A woman believed she could live with a silent killer before it felt as though a “nuclear bomb” ripped through her head.
Natasha Carayol, 40, from north London, suffered two strokes with the first, in May 2022, feeling like a “nuclear bomb went off” in her head, and doctors later confirmed her high blood pressure caused the aneurysm that led to it. She underwent emergency brain surgery and was left with a severely swollen face as well as slow speech and extreme weakness, forcing her to relearn how to walk.
The episode put her life in perspective and she decided to go freelance, becoming a DJ after music helped her through her recovery. In 2024, Natasha learned she was pregnant and felt “terrified” of having another stroke.
Just five weeks after the birth, in June 2025, her “worst nightmare” became a reality – she suffered a second stroke, again caused by high blood pressure. Natasha, a mother of two to Jahzire, 17, and Malaya, seven months, said: “I thought high blood pressure was just something I lived with – I never imagined it would nearly kill me.
“I now live with fear, I’m constantly worried it’s going to happen again. Any headache, any strange feeling – my heart races. A stroke doesn’t just change your body, it changes your mind.”
Natasha ultimately, underwent emergency brain surgery to stop the bleeding and prevent a future aneurysm. Natasha explained: “After surgery my face was all swollen up, I looked like the Elephant Man, I was in bed a lot so had to learn how to walk again because I was so weak.
“I had speech therapy because my speech was slow and I had to think about what I was going to say before I said it.” After leaving hospital, Natasha stayed with her grandmother, who looked after her.
Natasha found recovery difficult, as she was no longer as independent as she once had been. She had to “rebuild (her) confidence” and turned to music, as she said DJing made her feel like herself again.
She began DJing for her neighbours in the garden for a few hours at a time and by October, when she had almost recovered, she returned to her job, but still felt “too weak”. Taking this as a sign, she decided to focus on DJing instead – going on holiday to Morocco to DJ and set herself the goal of performing around the world.
Through contacts she made while on her trip, she went on to perform in Greece, Spain and Turkey. She felt she had found her “purpose” and that her life was getting “better and back to normal”.
In October 2024, Natasha was surprised to discover she was pregnant. Throughout pregnancy, she was “terrified of having another stroke,” as pregnancy can increase the risk of having a stroke.
But she saw a specialist who managed to bring her blood pressure down, which reassured her. After giving birth in June 2025, she lost a significant amount of blood and was admitted to intensive care.
Five weeks later, while at home, she suddenly felt the urge to pass her baby to her partner and developed a headache. Moments later, she collapsed and her mother called an ambulance – she had suffered another brain bleed and stroke.
Once again, doctors confirmed the cause as high blood pressure. She spent three weeks in hospital recovering, while breastfeeding her new-born daughter from her hospital bed.
She said: “I looked at her and knew I had to get better. I needed to come home. I needed to be her mum.” Her recovery was “harder this time” as she could not move her left side at first, and her speech was slurred and delayed.
With the help of a speech and language therapist, her speech has since improved, while an occupational therapist has helped her regain movement. However, she continues to feel the mental impact of having had a stroke – she is “paranoid” and “constantly worried” about having another one.
Now, Natasha is working with the Stroke Association to raise awareness this Stroke Prevention Day, January 29, determined to help others understand their risk. “If my story makes one person check their blood pressure, it’s worth it,” Natasha explained.
“High blood pressure is often silent, but the consequences can be catastrophic. Stroke isn’t something that only happens to older people. I was in my thirties. I was busy, working, being a mum, living my life.
“Blood pressure doesn’t care how strong or successful you are.” The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK providing life-long support for all stroke survivors and their families.
They provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year, fund vital scientific research, and campaign to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.
