Stroke Association unveils giant ice brain with a powerful message

The Stroke Association has unveiled a 2.5-metre brain carved from ice on London’s Southbank, turning the fragility of the human brain into a public spectacle.

The installation launches ‘Survival Is Not Enough’, a campaign highlighting the lasting impact of stroke and the support survivors need to rebuild their lives.

Created using 8.5 tonnes of ice over 150 hours, the sculpture draws inspiration from the brain scans of five stroke survivors.

Among them is Tayshelice, who had a stroke aged just eight.

The choice of material carries the message: something intricate and precious is also vulnerable.

Research commissioned by the charity found that 32% of UK adults did not realise a stroke is a brain injury, while 22% believed recovery takes just a few months or less.

Actor Josh Whitehouse unveiled the installation. His father survived a stroke almost 20 years ago and lives with aphasia, which affects his ability to communicate.

Juliet Bouverie, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “For so many stroke survivors, the fight doesn’t end when their lives are saved, yet every day survivors and their families are left traumatised and without the long-term rehabilitation and support they need.”

Like Crisis’s towering sculpture at King’s Cross, the installation uses scale to bring an often overlooked experience into public view.

It is on display at Southbank’s Observation Point on 26 and 27 October. The wider campaign also supports Channel 4’s two-part documentary Trauma: My Broken Brain, following three young stroke survivors.

The install was conceptualised by Stream Media Group with PR delivered by Taylor Herring.

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