Former Royal Marine Carl Ayres. Picture: PA Real Life

Former Royal Marine Carl Ayres, then 28, suffered a life-changing stroke five days after snorting one line of the Class A drug at an English pub last New Year’s Eve.

Former Royal Marine Carl Ayres, then 28, suffered a life-changing stroke five days after snorting one line of coke. Picture: PA Real LifeSource:Supplied

Carl, from Hampshire in the UK, can no longer walk or speak and relies on his mum Julie to help him go to the toilet.

His life changed forever on January 4 this year — when he was out on a five-mile (8km) run.

The exercise is thought to have triggered high blood pressure and caused a slow-moving clot to develop.

The following morning Carl, who owns a digger company, collapsed at a client’s house and was rushed to hospital, where he remained in a coma for four days.

Recovering after the stroke. Picture: PA Real LifeSource:Supplied

His family were informed he was likely to have locked-in syndrome, a condition where the body and most of the facial muscles are paralysed while the person remains conscious, and they considered turning off his life support machine.

But Carl started to make progress and he is now undergoing physiotherapy at a rehabilitation centre in Southampton where Julie, 50, visits him every day.

Julie said she feels “broken” over what happened to her son, describing it as “absolutely heartbreaking”.

She doesn’t think he will ever fully recover.

She explained: “He was so active and full of life, he ran his own business.

“Now I wipe his bottom for him. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed.

Former Royal Marine Carl Ayres used to have an active life. Picture: PA Real LifeSource:Supplied

“But I always do. I always act cheerful around him. Then when I come out I break down.

She continued: “I can’t stand to see how he is. Honestly, I don’t think he will get back to normal.

“I live in a fantasy world that he will come bouncing through the door.

“That’s not going to happen. But he is so determined.

“He typed out, ‘If it takes me 10 years, I will walk’. He has got a lot to accept.

“He was in the Marines, he trained everyday. He exercised all the time.

“He was full of life. Now he is sat in a wheelchair. He can’t roll over in bed. He was an active lad and this is devastating.”

Julie, who previously worked in a special needs school, admitted she is “angry” at her son and hasn’t shied away from telling him so.

Determined to walk again: PA Real LifeSource:Supplied

She said: “He knows, he keeps saying sorry. Despite not being able to speak, Carl is still Carl.

“He has got his personality and he is the same person.”

His family, including dad Gary, 56, are hopeful he will soon return home and Julie stressed she is keen for people to realise how devastating an impact cocaine has had on her son and his family.

She explained: “If I can get one other person to realise how it’s affected my family and Carl then going public has to be worth it.

“People think it won’t happen to them. Carl is proof it can. But I still see people in Farnborough taking cocaine. How close to home do they need it to happen?”

“I see them and think, ‘You selfish little sods. You could put your mother and father through what we’re going through.’

“But it is what society does, unfortunately.”

Julie Ayres says she wants to prevent others from going through what her family has. Picture: PA Real LifeSource:Supplied

A 2014 study found cocaine use dramatically increases the risk of strokes in young people.

Researchers compared 1,101 people aged 15 to 49 who had strokes between 1991 and 2008 to 1,154 people of similar ages in the general population.

Dr Yu-Ching Cheng, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said: “Cocaine is not only addictive, it can also lead to disability or death from stroke.”

He added: “We found the stroke risk associated with acute cocaine use is much higher than some other stroke risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking.”

Carl’s family are fundraising for him to go to Moscow for stem cell treatment which they hope will help him. Click here to donate.

This story originally appeared in The Sun.