North Wales dancer who had stroke vows to keep fighting and perform again

An emergency surgery on 14 July to stop the bleeding and another on 16 July where a large part of his skull was removed to allow his brain to swell more safely saved his life.

He then spent four weeks in an induced coma.

Doctors told the family there was a large section of Dan’s brain that would not work again, so they should expect him to never walk or talk again.

Claire said: “As long as he woke up, we didn’t care.

“That’s all we wanted.”

The mother-of-three said the four weeks waiting to see if Dan woke up were “tough” but she was “happy” when she saw his eyes flicker and then open for 10 minutes in mid-August 2025.

Dan, who worked as a supermarket team leader, said: “I remember waking up and thinking ‘where am I?’ and that I couldn’t speak words.”

The lack of speech continued for nine weeks until Dan’s best friend visited him in hospital one day and Claire was shocked when he said “Hi Ben”.

Dan has had speech therapy to improve his diction, as well as physiotherapy for eight months.

He has gone from not being able to lift himself up in bed to using a wheelchair and walking short distances with a mobility aid.

His speech has also gone from non-existent to speaking in sentences.

“I get up and shower, I put my clothes on, I do my [face] cream and I do my hair,” Dan said, of his morning routine.

His confidence also grew when he no longer had to wear a helmet after he had surgery in February to replace the missing section of his skull with an artificial plate.