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Today’s Memory Taper is Syreeta Challinger from Lincoln.

She wrote to us about the challenges that she, and her husband Rob, have faced after a brain haemorrhage and stroke.

Featured tracks:

• The SOS Band – Take Your Time (Do It Right) Part 1
• Gil Scott-Heron – When You Are Who You Are
• !!! – Slyd
• Grimes – Realiti (Demo)
• Janet Jackson – If (Kaytranda Remix)

Syreeta says:

“My partner Rob and I met whilst living and working in Hong Kong. We were simply friends at first, founding a close bond through music, running and gin. Always eager to find decent nights in Hong Kong, we grew close by making playlists for each other. As a mix tape queen in my teen years (probably into late 20s if honest) when Rob handed me a mix tape (USB format but looked like a tape!) I fell hard, my fate was sealed. We moved in together quickly and it was a wonderful whirlwind. We didn’t have a TV; we listened to the radio over a glass of wine in the evenings and it was simply magical. Music was very much part of our foundation.

However, life changed in a heartbeat on 27th September 2014. Rob suffered a severe brain haemorrhage and stroke and life hasn't been the same since. To make things more complicated, we were on holiday in Sydney, our home in HK. It was beyond horrific, I can’t even begin to describe it all. Rob woke with full right side paralysis, no communication or speech.

The journey we have been on is insane. After Rob came out of his coma, drawing was the first thing in my mind, to help him communicate. I taught him how to hold a pen again and drawing became our way of communicating, with hand squeezes, tears and laughter.Music was very much a tool alongside to that, to trigger memories for him, to give us a sense of normality, to remind Rob of us and our love, whilst stuck in Sydney hospitals.

We ended up having to move back to the UK to be near family, our HK life over, and we have been here since December 2014. Music has not only brought us together as couple, it has helped us heal too. And the 6 Music programming is integral to our days, to our routine. This is why we wanted to share our memory tape with you; from the moments of butterflies of us falling for each other, to saying what we couldn’t in words through song, through to bringing us closer than ever, to healing our broken hearts and empowering us on this new path with brain injury. Singing even helps with speech too, sounds and beats not only good for triggering memories, but also for getting words out that are so hard to say.

And now I am no longer just Rob’s partner. He proposed on the year anniversary of his brain injury with very limited speech, but with so much love - and we finally eloped to be married just before Christmas last year. An incredible and positive end to a turbulent year, to put spring in our step for 2018."

Tracklist in full:
• Rhye - The Fall
• Lion Babe - Treat Me Like
• Andrew Ashong & The Parish - Flowers
• Bat For Lashes - Marilyn
• Janet Jackson - If (Kaytranada Remix)
• Gil Scott Heron - When You Are Who You Are
• Dr Savannahs Sunshine Band - Sunshower
• Massive Attack - Teardrops
• White Lamp - It’s You
• Type Sun - PL
• Groove Armada - Paper Romance
• Little Dragon - Ritual Union
• Roy Davis Jr - Gabriel
• TypeSun - PL
• INXS - Need You Tonight
• Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
• Alt J - Breezeblocks
• Phoenix - Trying To Be Cool
• New Order - Perfect Kiss
• Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam
• Mint Royale - Don’t Falter
• Kings Of Tomorrow - Finally
• !!! - Slyd
• Bonobo - Cirrus
• SOS Band - Take Your Time
• Beastie Boys - Intergalatic
• Radiohead - No Surprises
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
• Chapelier Fou - Entendre La Foret Pousser
• The The - This is The Day
• Future Islands - Seasons/Waiting On You
• Daughter - Youth
• The Maccabees - Glimmer
• Rhye - Open
• Christian Prommer - Can You Feel It
• St Ettiene - Only Love Can break Your heart
• Nils Frahm - Some
• Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
• Grimes - Realiti (demo version)
• Warpaint - So Good
• Max Richter - Dream 13
• Teme Tan - Coupe de Griffe
• Christine & The Queens - Tilted
• Solange - Cranes In The Sky
• The XX - Say Something Loving
• Beirut - Gibraltar
• Bill Withers - The Same Love That Made Me Laugh
• McFadden & Whitehead - Ain’t No Stopping Us Now
• Candi Staton/The Source - You Got The Love
• The Smiths - There is A light that never Goes out

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