Barely a year ago, Anastasia Heng was fighting for her life.

But these days, the 13-year-old frets more about homework and examinations.

Last December, the Secondary 2 student had a stroke, which is uncommon among children. It happened during a gymnastics practice session.

She felt a sudden pain in her head before she fainted.

On the third day while under observation in hospital, she had an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan.

It showed a clot in her left brain. Anastasia was then transferred to the intensive care unit.

On the fifth day, her condition improved and she was moved to a normal ward.

A week later, she started physiotherapy.

As a result of the stroke, her speech and understanding of language regressed to that of a primary school student and she could not move her legs nor perform daily activities like dressing herself.

Anastasia says of her first few days in hospital: "I don't remember much as I was mostly asleep."

All that time, her mother, Madam Trina Tan, 44, a housewife, was a bundle of nerves.

Madam Tan said: "I had to be strong for Anastasia. I had to explain the situation to her, encourage her and give her hope for recovery."

Her physiotherapy lasted two months. She also had speech therapy sessions, which are ongoing.

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