Mr Brook had a stroke, leaving him unable to use the left side of his body and a vision impairment, and making his partner Heather a full-time carer.

This week, from September 8 to 14, was National Stroke Week, which aims to raise awareness about strokes.

Mr Brook is still unable to see out of his left eye and has permanent pins and needles in his hands and feet, but since his stroke has gained back his mobility.

However, while Mr Brook learnt to gain back his movement and control, Ms Burgemeister had to adjust to life as a carer.

"I went from going to work and coming home and doing things for myself and then all of a sudden I was a carer," she said.

"You're the one person that's with them all of the time."

As a truck driver, Mr Brook said he would spend three to five nights on the road, but after the stroke when he lost his licence, he could no longer work.

"We had to learn to live together and she had to learn how to live with this big baby," Mr Brook said.

"I'd go down to the shops and people would ask how I was going but they'd never ask Heather. Nobody really thought about the carer."

Ms Burgemeister said the first time someone took the time to ask how she was doing she broke down in tears.

She said people would call in and talk to the pair for 30 minutes and say how well thing were going, but wouldn't see the full picture.

The carer said she would joke that going to work part-time was her chance to have some freedom.

Since the stroke, Mr Brook said he often needed help from loved ones.

"You rely on family, friends and whatever you can get. The more the better. People shy away... because they don't know how to handle it," he said.

The need for a support network and the lack of information available for those who have had a stroke prompted Mr Brook to develop the Dubbo Stroke Support Group.

It also inspired him to become a volunteer at Lourdes Hospital and Community Health Service, to assist people going through rehabilitation like he did.

"For someone like me to just go up there and have a bit of a laugh with them, it makes the world of difference," Mr Brook said.

He now spends about three mornings a week helping those at Lourdes, giving them an ear to listen or doing exercises with those who need a little extra motivation.

Weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, dizziness or loss of balance, loss of vision, headaches and difficulty swallowing are all signs of stroke.

If someone is experiencing any, or a combination of, the above signs the Stroke Foundation recommends calling triple-0 immediately.