Leicestershire's Lord Lieutenant is using his personal brain aneurysm survival story to champion an Ashby-based charity.

The Lord Lieutenant Mike Kapur OBE has become an ambassador for Ashby-based charity HBA Support.

Mike's life changed over night in 2024 when he survived a ruptured brain aneurysm, a condition that had already taken the lives of two of his close family members.

He received life-saving treatment and underwent months of rehabilitation. He is now back to his full strength and duties as Lord Lieutenant.

Now, he is working hard to spread awareness about brain aneurysms and wants to bring hope to others facing life after a brain bleed.

'When you survive something like this, you understand just how precious ordinary life is,' said Mr Kapur. 'I want to use my experience to help other people and their families through it.

'I know how frightening the early days can be, but with the right support and right information around you, there really can be a full and happy life on the other side.'

Mike has partnered with Ashby-based charity HBA, which was founded by Rebecca Middleton, a brain aneurysm patient and Ashby resident.

'We are so proud to welcome Mike as our ambassador,' said Rebecca. 'He has lived through every part of this, the fear, the loss and the long road back, and he speaks about it with such warmth and honesty.'

Mike has spoken about his experience on the charity's podcast, Brain Aneurysms and Beyond, as well as participating in this year's Hike for Hope in June and Conkers Park Run in May to raise awareness for the condition and the charity's work.

Mike said: 'I am proud to support HBA Support, a UK charity based in Leicestershire that is making a national impact for families affected by aneurysms. Its work is essential, and I am delighted to contribute to its mission.'

Around two million people in the UK are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm, and research indicates that one in eight people with an aneurysm has the hereditary form of the condition.

Each year around 5,000 aneurysms rupture, causing 1,700 deaths and leaving 2,200 survivors with life-changing disabilities. An estimated 650 ruptures a year could be prevented through cascade screening and timely intervention.

As Ambassador, Mike Kapur will play an important role in championing HBA Support's mission to support everyone affected by brain aneurysms. His involvement will help raise the charity's profile, advance its goals of improving recognition, screening, and care, and increase support for patients and families across the UK.

Click here to find out more about HBA Support's work.