Medical
A stroke is when the normal blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. If your brain cells do not get a constant supply of oxygen from the blood, the cells in the affected area become damaged or die.
The causes and the effects of a stroke are very different for everyone so to help you get a balanced approach I've put some links to some stroke related organisations below.
Just click on the links to find out more.
NHS Direct
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/|
The Stroke Association
http://www.stroke.org.uk|