 Welcome back to How I Parent, where we get a glimpse into how the nation is raising their kids. Kate Hoyle, a married mum from North London, retrained as a hypnotherapist after her two children, Eleanor 22 and Ethan 20, developed conditions that completely changed their pace of life. 'Ethan was only 15 months old when he had a stroke and it completely rocked our world,' she shares. 'It's extremely rare for this to happen in children and the causes are different from adults but still, to a large extent, they are unclear. 'At first, he was unable to use his left side or even sit up unaided. Luckily, being so young, his brain was still developing and new neural pathways were formed.' Ethan made a remarkable recovery, but when big sister Eleanor was around six, Kate noticed a shift in her behaviour. 'Suddenly, she went from a contented child to experiencing strong emotions and was often angry and tearful,' says Kate. 'It took several years of having physical illnesses investigated before she was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression at just 12 years old.' Ethan had a stroke at just 15 months old (Picture: Supplied) 'What followed were years of psychotherapy, psychiatric visits, antidepressants and a downward spiral into poor mental health and an eating disorder. Her school attendance dropped to around 35%, with all the added pressure that brings.' In the early days, Kate had a high-flying corporate career in the City which meant she would leave the house at 5.30 am and work after returning in the evening. 'I felt completely lost and alone when dealing with both Eleanor's mental health issues and the emotional issues Ethan had as a result of his stroke,' she says. 'The pressure was always there because I felt I should be in two places at once, so in the end I took a local job so that I could be on hand for Eleanor. 'Being an hour's journey away was just too scary. Even then, when I had gone throug){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Welcome back to How I Parent, where we get a glimpse into how the nation is raising their kids.
Kate Hoyle, a married mum from North London, retrained as a hypnotherapist after her two children, Eleanor 22 and Ethan 20, developed conditions that completely changed their pace of life.
‘Ethan was only 15 months old when he had a stroke and it completely rocked our world,’ she shares. ‘It’s extremely rare for this to happen in children and the causes are different from adults but still, to a large extent, they are unclear.
‘At first, he was unable to use his left side or even sit up unaided. Luckily, being so young, his brain was still developing and new neural pathways were formed.’