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A young mum who suffered a stroke and was rushed to intensive care with sepsis on Christmas Day at the age of 27 says the "traumatising" ordeal has left her feeling "nervous rather than excited" about Christmas.

In the run-up to Christmas last year, Holly Dougan, originally from Stockport, experienced pain on the left side of her neck, which she believed was causing her headaches. She visited her GP on December 12 and was diagnosed with a migraine – at the time, Holly did "not think too much of it" and continued taking pain relief medication.

On Christmas Eve 2024, Holly and her partner, Gary, took their daughter, Isabella, to see some Christmas lights and "put carrots outside for Santa's reindeer". The family went to bed "so excited" for the next day, wearing matching C

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