When Cambridge university student Marc Shalet's father died from a stroke last year, his family struggled to come to terms with his death. But a year on and Mr Shalet, 20, is determined to help others affected by the condition.
A budding comic, he recently put on Jokes for Strokes - a line up of professional and amateur comedy acts - to raise money for the Stroke Association. Mr Shalet, who is studying English, tells People: "I had only been planning the event for ten weeks and, during that time, people messaged me saying they knew of someone who had a stroke, which kept on reminding me that even if you are not ill, you can still be affected."
Mr Shalet says his father seemed to be a healthy man up until the end, so his death came as a sudden shock.
Among the performers were some of the Cambridge Footlights brightest talents. Frank Sinazi, an ironic cabaret singer, entertained the audience with his songs about dictators and politics in rat-pack style. "He was a very skilled performer," says Mr Shalet. He hopes to make the event, which took place earlier this month in Southend, into a regular annual event.
