Brain haemorrhage turns binge drinking man into calm, cross-stitching teetotaller

A heavy drinker who was regularly verbally abusive has been transformed into a teetotal perfect husband after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Ken Merryweather used to go out on all-night drink binges before returning home to row with his long-suffering girlfriend Tracey. But the 44-year-old's personality was completely transformed after he was struck down by the life threatening condition. The change was so striking that Tracey even agreed to marry him.

"There was no way I would've married him before but he has totally gone the other way," she said. Ken, of Hadfield, Glossop, said that although the haemorrhage had caused him several problems, he was glad it had made him "a nicer guy to be around". "I used to be so verbally abusive - especially after a few pints," he said. "When I used to work I used to go straight to the pub and not get in until 2 to 3am in the morning."



He added: "There are things I can't do now but there are other things I can - I can cross-stitch and I do an awful lot of sewing and cooking." Just hours before Ken was struck down by the brain injury, he had been drinking heavily on one of his typical evenings out. The next morning Tracey, 47, found him collapsed on floor. He had stopped breathing and Tracey had to resuscitate him.

Ken said: "I lost 50 to 70% of my memory, I had to learn to walk and talk again. I asked if it was down to the alcohol and the doctors said no. It was basically just a time bomb ticking. I don't touch a drop now. Tracey says it's turned me into a better person." Tracey added: "They do say that out of those who survive from a haemorrhage, eight out of 10 relationships go down the pan because people change but I've always said that he couldn't have got any worse."