A woman who overcame a stroke will be dancing for eight hours straight to help others recover from a brain injury.

Firoza Choudhury, from Stratford, collapsed at home with severe head pains in July 2007.

She was rushed to the Royal London Hospital where she suffered at stroke - at the age of 27.

Firoza drifted in and out of consciousness and underwent an operation to remove a life-threatening blood clot to her brain.

After five months in hospital, the children’s book publisher was discharged but still had to go through three and a half months of intensive rehabilitation in Hackney.

It was there that she discovered Headway East London, also based in Hackney, who continued her physiotherapy exercises to help her cope with loss of feeling and use of the right side of her body, emotional vulnerability, and trouble planning, and remembering things.

Firoza eventually joined the charity as a volunteer and took part in her first Danceathon in 2010, finally completing the challenge last year when she raised over £400.

She said: “I wasn’t actually expecting to do the whole eight hours because of my fatigue and I get tired really easily.

“I just couldn’t help but to be there, soak up the atmosphere and dance with the others.

“I had a really good time and enjoyed myself. The Dance Marathon is literally about having fun, just dancing.

“You dance with other people which make the event really enjoyable and finally it’s a good, really fun way to raise money.”

This year’s Headway Dance Marathon is next Saturday April 27 at St John Church Hall, Lower Clapton Road, E5 OPD.

To get involved, visit www.londondancemarathon.org.