Jockey Aidan Macdonald has returned to horse racing just 18 months after suffering a stroke at just 21-years-old.
In March 2021, Macdonald fell from his horse during a race at Hexham and received treatment from hospital and discharged.
Two weeks later, he suddenly collapsed.
He was told by doctors that he would likely never ride again, however, after making a miraculous recovery, Macdonald returned to racing on 27 September at Sedgefield, in County Durham.
Speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees, Macdonald describes his road to recovery, from being told he’ll never ride again, to getting back on the saddle.
“When I was in hospital I was told I’d be lucky if i was able to sit on a horse again. A lot of people told me to get a different job… it kind of spurred me on to keep going.
“To ride a racehorse on a track again was a big accomplishment for me. It’s what I’ve worked for for the past 12 months so it felt good to finally pay off.
“I didn’t see my mum’s tears but I was told that she was crying most of my race. It was a bit emotional for both my mum and dad.
“It’s all fixed now. Everything’s healed in my head and neck, I’m at no more risk than any other jockey.”
Macdonald was taking his girlfriend to work when he suddenly collapsed.
He describes how he was pulling back on the road when the stroke started: “I wasn’t driving, I was actually reversing my car back off the hill into the middle of the road and my girlfriend reached over and put the handbrake on for me, pulled me out the car, and phoned the ambulance.
“I didn’t really know what was going on so I wasn’t too frightened but when I found out what it was and what had happened I was a bit shocked because you normally associate strokes with older people so it was quite frightening.”
Like Page Fuller, who recently revealed she’d suffered a mini-stroke mid race, the stroke Macdonald suffered was a result of the fall he’d had from his horse two weeks prior.
Whilst strokes are a rare occurrence in younger adults, they can have life lasting effects.
Macdonald describes the numbness he felt as a result of the stroke: I lost all feeling in my left leg and my left arm for about 10 days. I could lift my arm up but I couldn’t control it, it just fell straight back down.
“I was in hospital for four weeks which is a long time and it took me a good 12 months to fully recover.”
At the start of 2022, he was able to get back onto a horse for the first time since he had his stroke.
After a recovery period of 18 months, Macdonald was declared fully fit and safe to race again.
Though he did not win on his return to racing, the jockey remains positive about his future: “I’m just going to get going again, get a few more rides under my belt, and a few more winners and hopefully I get back to where I left off.
“Just stay positive and never give up. Always have something to aim for.”
