Stroke - the brain equivalent of a heart attack - will affect 15 million people in the world this year. Sadly, stroke is the fourth biggest killer in the UK. And almost two-thirds of people who survive a stroke will leave hospital with a disability. These are frightening statistics. But there is some hope on the horizon with new knowledge and treatments for stroke survivors which harnesses the brain’s natural ability to repair itself. I discuss how the brain fixes itself after being damaged by a stroke. And how new and innovative forms of rehabilitation are harnessing this “neuroplasticity” to improve the outcomes and quality of life of stroke survivors.