North London DJ's Stroke Survival: Relearning to Walk After High Blood Pressure Crisis
A woman from North London has revealed how undiagnosed high blood pressure led to two life-threatening strokes, forcing her to relearn fundamental skills like walking while transforming her career path. Natasha Carayol, aged 40, initially dismissed her hypertension as a manageable condition, never anticipating it would nearly claim her life and permanently alter her physical and mental wellbeing.
The First Stroke: A Sudden Collapse
In May 2022, while working as a regional team manager and financial adviser, Natasha experienced severe headaches and exhaustion for a week. During a routine Zoom meeting, she suddenly felt as though a nuclear bomb had detonated inside her head, collapsing onto her office floor. Unable to speak or move, she managed to alert colleagues by grabbing her desk, leading to an emergency ambulance transfer to Ealing Hospital.
Medical staff initially suggested rest, but Natasha, recalling her private insurance, insisted on further tests. A brain scan revealed a critical aneurysm and bleed, directly linked to her dangerously high blood pressure. She was swiftly transferred to Charing Cross Hospital for emergency neurosurgery to halt the bleeding and prevent future complications.
Recovery and Reinvention
Post-surgery, Natasha faced a swollen face, extreme weakness, and impaired speech, necessitating intensive rehabilitation. She had to relearn how to walk through persistent physiotherapy and undergo speech therapy to regain communication abilities. During her recovery at her grandmother's home, she turned to music, rediscovering her passion for DJing, which helped restore her sense of identity and purpose.
By October 2022, she returned to her financial role but felt too physically depleted. This prompted a career shift, as she embraced DJing full-time, performing in Morocco, Greece, Spain, and Turkey. She described this period as finding her true calling, with life gradually returning to normalcy.
A Second Stroke After Childbirth
In 2024, Natasha discovered she was pregnant, sparking fears of another stroke due to pregnancy-related risks. Although specialists managed her blood pressure, five weeks after giving birth in June 2025, she collapsed at home with another brain bleed. Doctors confirmed high blood pressure as the cause once more, leading to a three-week hospital stay where she breastfed her newborn daughter from her bed.
This second stroke impaired her left-side mobility and slurred her speech, making recovery more challenging. With support from speech and occupational therapists, she has regained movement and improved her communication, but the psychological scars remain. Natasha now lives with constant anxiety about a recurrence, describing how any minor symptom triggers panic.
Raising Awareness and Advocacy
Now a mother of two, Natasha is collaborating with the Stroke Association to promote Stroke Prevention Day, emphasising that strokes can affect anyone, regardless of age or lifestyle. She stresses that high blood pressure often presents no symptoms until it causes catastrophic damage, urging people to monitor their health proactively.
If my story encourages even one person to check their blood pressure, it will have been worthwhile, she stated, highlighting that strokes are not exclusive to older demographics. Her journey underscores the importance of medical vigilance and the transformative power of passion in overcoming adversity.
