NI comedy legend Gene Fitzpatrick is laughing again after a life-changing stroke

Gene, 78, has been making the public laugh for more than four decades and with his upbeat persona may seem an unlikely candidate for experiencing ill health, however, the comedian had an unexpected, life-changing stroke in June 2021.

The Banbridge man is sharing his story to raise awareness of stroke and to encourage other stroke survivors to keep pushing on their recovery journeys and see there is still hope after a stroke.

Recalling the day of his stroke, Gene said: “I was getting ready to go and get my hair cut. I was about to head out the front door but started to feel unwell. I went back into the kitchen, made a coffee and when I started to try and talk, it sounded all wrong. I said to my wife, ‘I’m talking funny’, and she said, ‘so you should be, you're supposed to be a comedian’ but we knew something really wasn’t right and phoned an ambulance.”

Gene added: “I had no outward signs of a stroke - no fallen mouth, no drooped eye, nothing like that, so when the paramedics arrived they spent about 20 minutes trying to work out what was wrong. They took me to Craigavon Area Hospital and after tests the doctor told me I should have been on blood thinners to prevent blood clots. He then informed me that I had had a stroke. That was a huge shock.

“The following day I was 10 times worse than the day I had the stroke. I lost my voice as well as my swallow and the power on my left-hand side had gone. Due to the issues with my swallow I was Nil by Mouth. That was really tough because I wasn't even allowed to sip water off a spoon, I was tube fed through my nose. It was very frustrating.”

Despite the severity of the impact of his stroke Gene started on his recovery journey almost immediately.

“A couple of days after my stroke I started doing walking exercises on a machine. It was just 10 or 15 steps and then I was back in bed, but it was a start. After a while I was transferred to Lurgan Hospital for more rehab.”

Gene ended up staying in hospital for three months which he said was hard for him and his family.

“After I was discharged from hospital the Community Stroke Team started coming out to me, so I could continue my rehab at home. That lasted for 12 weeks and at that stage I had to have a hospital bed downstairs as I wasn’t allowed to go upstairs or do much really. I made a promise to myself when my home rehab ended however that by Christmas time I would be upstairs in my own bed. And I was. I had to get an aid to help me get out of bed, but I did it. I also started trying to have some food. I started with things like an ice lolly or foods that had been thoroughly blended and slowly but surely, I made progress. Now I can eat 99 per cent of things which is great.”

Gene credits a lot of his progress to the support he received from local health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).

He said: “Lynne from NICHS phoned me after I had been discharged from hospital and she then came out to see me. She told me about the charity’s Post Rehab Exercise Programme (PREP) as well as their Surviving Stroke Wellness Sessions. “I started going to PREP and I have to say, for anybody that has had a stroke, PREP is the best thing ever. It’s absolutely brilliant. It involves a combination of education and physio-developed exercises and the physios and NICHS staff that lead the sessions are great. I start every morning with a cup of tea and then do about 20 minutes of PREP exercises. Recently I have also started to go to the gym later on in the mornings. I do about 45 minutes of cycling, walking and weights and honestly, I feel brilliant.”

Gene added: “There is great friendship and comradery at the PREP groups. Everyone understands what it’s like to have had a stroke and that is very important.

“I still go to NICHS’s Newry and Craigavon Wellness Sessions and I really enjoy them. I’ve made so many friends and I’ve been able to help and encourage others which is really what it’s all about. I hope to be able to volunteer for the charity in the next year or so as I want to help others in a similar situation.”

It was not just the physical impact of his stroke that the team at NICHS were able to support Gene with however, as he explains: “I decided I wanted to get back to doing some comedy. I didn’t want to go back to full-time showbusiness, but I wanted to do some small shows for charities. I told Lynne about this and we decided I would try and do 10-15 minutes of comedy at one of the charity’s Wellness Sessions. This really helped me get my communications skills going again and get some of my confidence back. Since then I’ve done about eight fundraising shows for a number of charities. This has really helped me get my confidence back - the performances were by no means perfect, but I’ve come a long, long way since June 17, 2021.”

Ursula Ferguson, Director of Care Services at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke said:

“Our team works across Northern Ireland with people of all ages affected by stroke, alongside their families and carers. They are dedicated to supporting people in adjusting to life with a stroke condition, helping them to enjoy life to the full, re-engage with hobbies, and improve their confidence, independence, and overall quality of life.”

If you have been affected by stroke and need support visit nichs.org.uk/care-and-support/stroke-support for further information about NICHS’s stroke support services.