Stepping Forward: How Mike Kapur OBE turned his brain aneurysm rupture into positive action
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Mike Kapur OBE is a business leader, a public servant, and His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire. For most of his life, his days began at 5.30am and rarely ended before evening, often seven days a week. He was, by his own account, in reasonably good health. He jogged when he could, walked to the office for the fresh air, and had no reason to think anything was wrong.
Then, in 2024, with no warning at all, a brain aneurysm ruptured and bled into his brain.
A family that already knew this fear
For Mike's family, the news was frightening in a way that felt painfully familiar. They had seen brain aneurysms before, twice, in the close family, and had lost two loved ones to them.
So, when Mike was rushed into surgery, those closest to him feared they already knew how the story might end. There had been no warning signs he could point to, even looking back. He had simply collapsed into an emergency that his family had lived through before.
The turning point
After his first operation, Mike's surgeon came to see him and said he was very happy with how it had gone. Then he added something Mike has never forgotten: "I will have you playing football again, if that's what you want to do."
It was a small sentence at a huge moment, and it gave him something to hold on to. "They were actually quite reassuring to me," Mike remembers. From there, against the odds his family had feared, his recovery began.
Learning to recover
Recovery asked Mike to live differently. Rehabilitation taught him a lesson that has stayed with him: that looking after your body is also a way of looking after your mind. What started as discipline gradually became habit. Today he jogs four miles most days, joins his local parkrun on a Saturday whenever he can, and is careful to drink plenty of water and give his body and mind time to rest.
Sleep, once an afterthought, became one of the most important parts of his recovery.
"I always used sleep as that inconvenient thing that stopped me from doing all the things I enjoyed," he says. "Now it's a very important friend."
Little by little, the routines that supported his healing became the shape of a fuller, healthier life.
Back to work, and giving back
Today, Mike is back at work, serving his community once again. But his experience has also given him a new sense of purpose. He wanted to use what he had been through to help other people and their families facing the same fear.
He shared his story publicly for the first time on HBA Support's podcast, ‘Brain Aneurysms & Beyond’, speaking with real honesty about the fear, the fatigue and the long road back. In June 2026 he joined the charity's ‘Hike to Hope’ fundraising walk, and he has recently accepted the role of the charity’s first ever Ambassador.
In that role, Mike will play an important role in championing HBA Support’s mission to support everyone affected by brain aneurysms. His involvement will help raise the charity’s profile, advance its goals to improve recognition, screening and care, and increase support for patients and families across the UK.
Mike's message to others
For anyone facing the early, frightening days after a brain aneurysm rupture, Mike is living proof that there can be life, and a full one, on the other side.
"What I want to do with the rest of my life is use my experience to help others come to terms with what's happened to them. Even in the early days, when they struggle to get back to any sense of normality, if they stay positive, have the right support around them and are given the right information, they can make their fullest recovery and live a life they can be proud of, one that is as full as they ever wanted it to be." - Mike Kapur OBE
Brain Aneurysm Resources and support
If you have any health concerns related to the topics in this article, please speak to your GP or a clinical professional.
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