Focus on your abilities and not your disabilities, says stroke survivor Eamon

(Above) Eamon O'Donoghoe with his son Ger and granddaughters Ceidi and Leah.

For Slanemore grandfather Eamon O’Donoghoe, it’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that’s important.

Eamon was an active 75-year-old retiree who still farmed and went set dancing a couple of nights a week when he suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve 2016.

He and his son Ger had gone over to the farm after Midnight Mass to check on a cow that was calving, when he fell ill. They called one of their neighbours for help and they correctly concluded that Eamon had had a stroke as his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet.

He was taken to Naas General Hospital as the CAT scan in Mullingar wasn’t working. After a week there, he was taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar before being transferred to St Mary’s for rehabilitation.

When Eamon was discharged from St Mary’s after a little over two months, his speech and memory had recovered, but the stroke had left him paralysed down the left side. Although he is now wheelchair bound, he chooses to focus on what he can do rather than what he can’t.

“I worked in the boiler in the hospital. I was quite aware of what a stroke was and had seen people with strokes and the different way that they reacted. It wasn’t such a shock to know what happened.

“You just have to accept it and get on with things. That’s the most important thing. You have to accept it and get on with what you have and what you haven’t.”

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Eamon was one of the stalwarts of the Mullingar Stroke Support Group since its formation in 2017. In fact, Eamon has only missed one of the meetings since he joined.

The group meets in Columb Barracks every Thursday morning. In addition to the all important cuppa and accompanying chat at the start, guest speakers sometimes come in to talk about issues relevant to the members. Meetings generally end with exercises and activities to improve hand eye co-ordination.

Eamon says that the group provides an invaluable social outlet for him and his friends.

“It helps you get out and about and is a break from being at home. People can down on themselves and we check in on each other. We tell stories and share stories.”

The group haven’t been able to meet since March when the country went into lockdown. Rather than get down about the so called new normal, Eamon says that he quickly got used to the “rules being changed”.

“It’s so long since a meeting that we won’t recognise each other,” he joked. “We’d ring one another for a chat, which is very important in lockdown.”

Koriena Ivers from the Irish Heart Foundation runs the support group in Columb Barracks. She says that Eamon’s positive attitude is a great example for the rest of the group.

“This man has been the mainstay of Mullingar Stroke Support Group since the start and he has shown encouragement to every member who comes through the door.

“He has only ever missed one group, and that was to attend someone’s funeral. He is a great character and what he doesn’t know about Mullingar is not worth knowing.

“His stroke has left him in a wheelchair but he doesn’t allow that to bring him down,” Koriena said.

While there have been no meetings for the last four months, Koriena says that the group’s members have been far from idle.

“Since lockdown, we have been able to continue offering our members support in whatever way we can, frequent check-in phone calls to assess their overall health and see how they are coping.

“We have become imaginative with ideas on relieving boredom and encouraging them to continue their regular exercise. Although they are doing exceedingly well, all things considered, they miss being together as a group. “

If you would like to learn more about Mullingar Stroke Support Group or if you have any queries regarding supports for people who have suffered strokes, contact Koriena on 0871911060 or email her at kivers@irishheart.ie.

The Irish Heart Foundation’s support helpline is 01 6685001 or you can contact support@irishheart.ie with any questions or concerns you have.

F.A.S.T. – What to do if someone has had a stroke

The F.A.S.T. acronym was created as a helper for people to remember the main warning signs of stroke so that they can act immediately in the case of a stroke by dialling 999.

F.A.S.T. Stands For

F = Face: Has their face fallen on one side. Can they smile?

A = Arms: Can they raise both their arms and keep them there?

S = Speech: Is their speech slurred?

T = Time: To call 999 if you see any single one of these signs.