A professional panto singer was forced to pull out of a Christmas show after stretching her neck caused a STROKE - that has left her unable to sing.<br /><br />Helen Farrell, 32, had been moving her head side to side in order to stretch her neck when she suddenly experienced a huge pain in the back of her head.<br /><br />Waking up from a nap the following day, the professional singer was terrified when she couldn't speak properly or control her movements.<br /><br />Shockingly, Helen had torn an artery when stretching her neck, resulting in a stroke - leaving the performer unable to sing.<br /><br />She has now been left with no choice but to cancel all of her upcoming gigs until February 2022.<br /><br />Helen also had to pull out of a Christmas pantomime - and fears losses of thousands of pounds of potential earnings.<br /><br />Helen, who lives in Blackpool, said: "I think the stroke happened when I was woken up by my partner the day after stretching. <br /><br />"As soon as I woke up, this pain in my ear started - it was this loud, tingling, wooshing sound, like tinnitus.<br /><br />"I tried to get up but I couldn't walk or talk and I was being violently sick.<br /><br />"The doctors have now said that I had had a stroke which was from me tearing the main artery going into my brain when I stretched my neck. <br /><br />"When I was on the ward after the stroke, I tried to sing and I realised I had no control or power or strength in my vocal chords.<br /><br />"Now I'm back home and I want to get back to normal, the severity of it has hit.<br /><br />"Singing is my way of living but I'm having to cancel all my jobs and that's after a year of no singing work because of lockdowns.<br /><br />"I'm trying my best to stay positive. I'm still so grateful that I can walk and talk now because I couldn't even do that when the stroke first happened, but obviously, I do feel worried and sad that I can't sing."<br /><br />This compilation was created on the 24th December 2021.
