Unlocking Brownie

Unlocking Brownie Geordie|Husband|Dad|Ex-Semi Pro|Newcastle Fan��| Living with Locked-in-syndrome| Sharing ups&downs

29/07/2026

I haven’t done an appreciation post in a while, but not a day goes by that I don’t think about everything Alyson has quietly given up and carried for our family.

The debt I owe her can never be repaid.

She walked away from a teaching career she was genuinely brilliant at. I still remember the late nights marking books at the kitchen table, planning lessons long after everyone else was asleep, and how much her pupils adored her. She had a natural patience and care you can’t teach — I know she would have gone far.

We’d only been together two years when life changed, and she was still in her mid-30s. She didn’t have to take on all of this, but she did — without hesitation, without complaint. She just stepped up and never looked back.

Since then, she’s held everything together at home. The school runs, the mornings getting the kids ready, then straight into her own work. The evenings filled with homework, washing, dinner, and still finding the time and energy to listen when the kids need her most. There’s no real break in her day — just constant giving.

In so many ways she’s been doing it on her own, and she’s never once treated it like a burden. Even on the hardest days, she just keeps going.

The kids are so lucky to have her shaping who they are every day, and I know I am too. I see it in them — the kindness, the patience, the stability she’s built into their lives without ever asking for recognition.

Thank you for everything you’ve given up, everything you carry quietly, and everything you continue to do for us.

Thank you, Alyson. ❤️

27/07/2026

Sometimes the biggest dreams ask the most of you.

Our last two attempts weren’t successful, and we’d both admit that. We were inexperienced, under immense pressure, and navigating a demanding selection process we weren’t ready for at the time.

But growth comes from those moments.

I’ve changed. I’ve grown stronger, wiser, and more resilient. I’ve come a long way, and this is the next chapter of my journey.

I’m hoping to return home to my family at the end of next month after completing this stage of training.

No matter what happens, I’m proud of how far we’ve come.

Now it’s time to believe.

We’ve come too far to stop now—and I’m not done yet. 💙

Say cheese if you’ve pulled daddy’s (Steven to Megan) pants down
27/07/2026

Say cheese if you’ve pulled daddy’s (Steven to Megan) pants down

26/07/2026

Getting to Wembley as a player… marrying Alyson…. Having a kebab after 25 months are all major milestones in my life

I was not meant to be doing this!!! I’m going to be like a house end so going to have to reign it in but this is what I set out to do and I have did it

26/07/2026

Such a perfect day… 😂

After a decent win the other day, I decided to treat the kids, so we headed to Smiths Toys. Feeling like Father Christmas, I told them they could each have one toy and there was no budget.

In my head, I was expecting about £50 each.

Completely forgot they have absolutely no idea what money is.

Megan casually picked up a Barbie Dreamhouse for £150, while Benny chose a Spider-Man car for £130… both of which came with approximately 47,000 pieces and an instruction manual that might as well have been written in ancient Greek.

So, while Aly has been trying to build both of them with two incredibly impatient children “helping”, I’ve been making the most of the situation…

By enjoying my first McDonald’s in over two years.

Not only did it taste amazing, but for the first time in a very long time, I could actually feed myself.

I hate needing help, so something that most people wouldn’t even think twice about felt like a massive milestone to me.

If you’d offered me 100/1 odds that I’d ever be sitting here again, eating a McDonald’s like this, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second.

Funny how life shifts things—what used to be ordinary now feels almost unreal. Just being able to sit here and do something so simple on my own feels like a quiet victory, the kind you don’t announce but feel deeply. ❤️ and aly was over the moon she didn’t have her larger, balder child to feed on top 😂

25/07/2026

I’m still learning patience. If I’m honest, I want everything to happen now.

But one thing I’ve learned is that persistence is often more important than speed. The willingness to keep going, keep improving, and keep showing up, even when the results aren’t immediate.

Growth doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through the small, consistent choices we make every day.

Be patient with the process, but never stop being persistent.

Never give up. Your breakthrough could be closer than you think.

22/07/2026

⭐ Against all odds, I reached for the stars—and proved anything is possible. ⭐

I was told I wouldn’t survive.

I was told I would never breathe without a tracheostomy or a ventilator.

I was told I would never eat again.

Today, I can smile and say… they were wrong.

Yesterday I reached another huge milestone in my recovery. 😋 I moved up another stage with eating and can now enjoy almost anything, as long as it’s cut into small pieces. To some people, that might seem like a small achievement. To me, it’s everything.

My journey has been filled with obstacles, setbacks, and moments when giving up would have been the easier option. But every challenge has made me stronger.

I’ve learned that a prognosis isn’t a promise. The opinions of others don’t get the final say. Your determination, your resilience, and your refusal to quit can take you further than anyone ever imagined.

If someone tells you that you can’t, let that be your motivation—not your limit.

Keep believing. Keep fighting. Keep taking that next step, no matter how small it seems.

Because one day, you’ll look back at everything you overcame and realise you achieved what others thought was impossible.

Never stop reaching for the stars. Your greatest chapters may still be ahead of you. 💙✨

21/07/2026

Just because I have communication difficulties doesn’t mean you need to be nervous or frightened. Just be patient.

I’m still the same person I’ve always been. ❤️

19/07/2026

There was a time when I thought I knew what rock bottom looked like. Then I had a stroke.

Like many people, I’d never heard of Locked-In Syndrome. I wish I never had to learn what it was. In the simplest terms, it takes away so many of the little things we all do without thinking. The things you never appreciate until they’re gone. The hardest part is that your mind is still there. You see everything. You feel everything. You understand everything. But your body no longer does what your mind is asking it to do.

It’s a reality I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

I’ve made mistakes in my life. Some of them were horrible, and I can’t change the past. But this experience has changed me in ways I never imagined. It has humbled me. It has taught me compassion. It has taught me patience. Most of all, it has taught me that every single day is another opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be a better person than I was yesterday.

My stroke caused devastating damage to my brain. There are things I may never get back. But somehow, through all the pain and struggle, it has also made me stronger in ways I never expected. It has shown me a resilience I never knew I had.

Recovery isn’t about waking up one morning and suddenly being “better.” It’s about fighting battles that nobody else can see. It’s about celebrating tiny victories that most people would never even notice. It’s about refusing to give up, even on the days when giving up feels easier.

I still have difficult days. Days where I grieve the life I had. Days where I wonder why this happened to me. But I also have days where I smile because I’ve achieved something I couldn’t do yesterday. Those moments remind me that hope is stronger than despair.

I’m still learning to live with this every single day. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know this…

As long as I’m here, I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep learning. I’ll keep growing.

And if my journey reminds just one person to be grateful for the little things, to forgive, to keep going, or to never give up on themselves, then every word I’ve shared has been worth it.

None of us knows what tomorrow holds. So tell the people you love that you love them. Forgive when you can. Be kind. And never, ever take the little things for granted—because they can disappear in a heartbeat.

I hope one day my story isn’t remembered because I had a stroke. I hope it’s remembered because I refused to let it define who I am.

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