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A woman who suffered a stroke at the age of 24 has described how she was able to sing before she could speak during her recovery.
Summer Clarke, now 26, was given a 10 per cent chance to live, with her family told to say their “goodbyes” when she suffered a spontaneous brain haemorrhage.
Clarke, from the city of Manchester in the United Kingdom, survived after being put into an induced coma, but had severe complications, including needing to learn to read and walk again.
But she could sing her favourite songs, word for word, before she could even recognise her own mother.

Clarke is not alone; a new poll by the Stroke Association, the UK’s leading stroke charity, has revealed 35 per cent of stroke survivors are able to sing better than speak in the weeks and months after their stroke.
The survey of 1,000 people who have had a stroke found that 33 per cent lost the ability to speak after a stroke.
About 26 per cent said they could sing or hum before they could talk at all, and 61 per cent said music helped improve their communication skills after their stroke, with half – 51 per cent – saying it helped their memory.
The Stroke Association said research suggests singing can enhance communication and speech for people with aphasia – a language and communication disability which leaves people struggling to speak, read, write or understand language.
Clarke is backing a new Stroke Association campaign, Sing4Stroke.
I was told that she might have 48 hours to live, and we should maybe say our goodbyes
Linda Clarke, Summer’s mother
Two years ago, she was enjoying an afternoon with friends when she experienced severe pains in her head and was violently unwell.
She was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered she had a brain haemorrhage, and she was put on life support.
Her mother, Linda Clarke, said: “The doctors did a draining procedure, but the pressure on her brain was immense. I was told that she might have 48 hours to live, and we should maybe say our goodbyes.
“She was given a 10 per cent chance of survival – it was terrifying.”
Two weeks after being put in an induced coma, Clarke started to move a little finger.

She was taken out of a coma and started to breathe again on her own – but this was just the start of her nine-month stint in hospital.
“It was like being a baby again, I had to learn everything from scratch,” she said.
During the recovery process, it was found that Clarke could sing her favourite songs before she could perform many other tasks.
Her mother said: “Summer suffered with so many cognitive problems, but singing just came naturally to her. She could sing to music when she came out of the coma. She would start by miming songs, and then she could sing anything on her playlist.”
She said her daughter’s favourite song during recovery was “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner.

Clarke, who worked as cabin crew for British Airways before her stroke, added: “Anything we played I remembered the lyrics to, even if I didn’t recognise my own mum. It was all very strange.”
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Singing can be a powerful tool in stroke recovery for those who experience communication difficulties.
“Because music and singing are processed in a different part of the brain to spoken language, some people with communication problems find that they can sing easily, even though speaking is difficult.”
The charity has launched a new campaign urging people to raise money by singing.
“There are now over 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK, and this number is growing,” said Bouverie.
“The impact of a stroke can be completely life-altering. We believe everyone deserves to live the best life they can after a stroke, but to do this, we need your support.”
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In recovery, Clarke was able to sing before she could speak again. Photo: Facebook/TheStrokeAssociation

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Emilia Clarke suffered her first stroke at the age of 24, and another two years later. Photo: AP

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The actress suffered her first stroke at the age of 24, and another two years later, before establishing a charity, SameYou, to raise awareness of strokes and support those with brain injuries and strokes. 
Photo: HBO

Clarke suffered a second aneurysm two years after her first. Photo: Instagram/emilia_clarke

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Health & Wellness

Health

She could not recognise her mother, but Summer Clarke could sing her favourite songs while recovering from a stroke. She is not the only one


She could not recognise her mother, but Summer Clarke could sing her favourite songs while recovering from a stroke. She is not the only one.


Disease

Medicine

One in three stroke victims can sing better than speak, and music helps memory, says study

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}She could not recognise her mother, but Summer Clarke could sing her favourite songs while recovering from a stroke. She is not the only one

She could not recognise her mother, but Summer Clarke could sing her favourite songs while recovering from a stroke. She is not the only one