Call to increase vital support services for heart and stroke patients

A CORK man, who suffered a stroke in 2022, has described how he waited for longer than six weeks after leaving the hospital without any referrals or therapy.

In May of 2022, 53-year-old Arthur Little from Ballydehob was woken by his wife Lydia and daughter Róisín, who had realised he was having a stroke.

“I wasn’t aware I was having a stroke, I remember trying to move out of the bed and I just couldn’t,” he said.

Mr Little said that luckily his wife and daughter recognised the F.A.S.T. signs: facial drooping and left side weakness and called an ambulance immediately.

After being discharged from the hospital, Mr Little waited over six weeks without any referrals or therapy.

However, once a call was made to the Irish Heart Foundation, he said the charity “played out of their skin” to make up for lost time.

“For me, the services have been critical in reducing a strong sense of isolation experienced following my bilateral stroke...The therapy, support and training given by the Irish Heart Foundation has been instrumental in me returning to work on a part-time basis,” he said.

Mr Little shared his story as the charity commenced a drive to bolster State funding for services for heart and stroke patients.

People are being urged to lobby their TDs and senators to sign a pledge at https://irishheart.ie/advocacy/ to ensure €1.2m in annual funding is made available to the service.

“One in three of all stroke patients returning home are being referred in to our services, whilst we are also supporting thousands of heart patients,” said Director of Advocacy and Patient Support at the IHF, Chris Macey.

“These people cannot simply return to the lives they led before and desperately need the unique pathway of support services that the Irish Heart Foundation provides.”