A mother who once spent £900-a-day on heroin managed to turn her life around after suffering nine strokes and being left in a coma for two months. Caroline Winyard, now 47, from Staffordshire, was just 18 years old when she started experimenting with ecstasy and LSD. At her worst, she spent close to an average part-time wage in the UK on the devastating habit.
She said she spent 26 years in a “downward spiral”, shoplifting to fund her habit. But in May 2023, it all caught up with her and she was hospitalised after realising she couldn’t lift her left arm. Medics decided to induce a coma to save her life.
Caroline was revived around two months later, with medics telling her she had endocarditis, a heart infection which can be fatal – and in her case caused nine strokes. After being discharged, she ended up spending another two months in hospital to recover, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
While many users would not have seen the light, and continued on their path of addiction – for Caroline it was a major wake-up call and she’s remained sober ever since. She now wants to help others to do the same.
Caroline, who is unable to work due to her health, from Staffordshire, said: “I was in a downward spiral for 26 years. I was spending £900 a day. I couldn’t wake up without it. I’d get up, not eat, go and shoplift and smoke.”
Caroline became hooked on heroin at a young age. She went from taking pills to trying ecstasy before getting hooked on heroin. She said: “I was addicted and hooked. I was shoplifting every day.”
Caroline’s children – now aged 30 and 29 – were adopted when they were just two and she struggled to get out of the cycle of crime and drugs. In May 2023 she felt dizzy and thought she had vertigo. Her drug worker advised her to ring 999 but Caroline ignored the advice. She said: “I left it because I was taking drugs.”
But the next day when she was unable to lift her arm up she was airlifted to hospital. Caroline said: “I woke up two months later. I’d been in an induced coma. I’d had two massive stroke and seven small ones.”
She spent another two months in hospital but has been sober ever since. However the strokes have left Caroline with mobility struggles with her left arm and leg. She said: “I can walk about five steps.”
But despite this Caroline is grateful to be sober – she’s been able to go on holidays with her mum and has reconnected with her children.
She said: “Why the hell did I let it get to this point? I’m alive. I’ve got my kids back in my life. I wake up now and I don’t feel poorly. I wake up on top of the world.
“My mum is so proud. I wake up and smell the flowers. Before I just wanted drugs – that’s no life. There’s light at the end of tunnel.”
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