Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who suffered a devastating stroke eight years ago, said more nurses must be given specialist training to support survivors.
Clarke, who is an ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), experienced a potentially fatal brain haemorrhage in 2011.
The actor, who played Daenerys Targaryen in the fantasy TV series, launched SameYou, a charity aimed at supporting young people with brain injuries and helping them access resources to aid recovery.
Now, she is backing the RCN’s nurse training programme.
Clarke, 32, said: “Stroke is something you never expect to happen, especially not in your 20s and 30s, but it is remarkable how often it is happening to young people.
“When you’re a young person experiencing it, the mental health aspects go unnoticed and that’s what I experienced.
“You need to be treated as a fully-rounded person and not just a list of symptoms.
“I was cared for by two specialist nurses, but I saw where the gaps were and where I had to help myself.
“I want to give young people who’ve had a stroke the opportunity to have those nurses too – to be cared for as a unique special human who can be brought back to health.”
