Chris Fountain is ‘terrified he’s having another stroke’ as the former Coronation Street star has been a year since he was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening blood clot after suffering a seizure at home
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Coronation Street’s Chris Fountain has revealed he fears he may have ‘another stoke’ a year after being rushed to hospital with a life-threatening blood clot after suffering a seizure at home.
The actor, 35, shared a health update with fans who suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) 12 months ago that led to heart surgery.
A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or ‘mini-stroke’ is caused by a temporary disruption of blood supply to part of the brain and can lead to movement and speech problems.
He posted a throwback photo of himself in his hospital bed, saying, “1 year ago today. Life can change in the blink of an eye, I’ve had to change a lot but things have gotten so much better.”
“Be as positive as possible, live life to the fullest and don’t give up no matter how hard it gets.”
Candid: Chris Fountain, 35, of Coronation Street has revealed he fears he may have ‘another stroke’ a year after being rushed to hospital with a life-threatening blood clot following a seizure at home (pictured in October)
Hospital: The actor shared a health update with fans 12 months ago since he suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) that led to heart surgery (pictured in 2022)
He went on to say, “It’s been a little weird wrapping my head around it. Part of me is worried and thinking, “Will I get another one today?”
“But part of me is also super proud of how I recovered. My speech is as good as normal again, I ran a marathon, I’m fit again’.
Keeping fans awake today with his recovery, Chris ran the London Marathon earlier this year, sharing an emotional moment after crossing the finish line.
It comes after he revealed that he lost the ability to speak and “feared for his life” after suffering the mini-stroke.
The actor was admitted to Hackney’s Homerton University Hospital after the incident, after which he continued to talk “like a toddler”.
Chris realized something was seriously wrong after he woke up to find he could no longer pronounce his speech, prompting the terrified star to call 111 from his London home and request an ambulance.
The star later found out he had suffered a TIA, commonly referred to as a mini-stroke, due to blood clotting in his brain.
He told The mirror: ‘When the doctors confirmed I had had a TIA and said the word stroke I just couldn’t believe it, there was a moment of pure panic, just afraid of what it would mean for the rest of my life.
Poor health: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ‘mini-stroke’ is caused by a temporary disruption of blood supply to part of the brain and can lead to problems with movement and speech (pictured after heart surgery earlier this year)
Scary: He went on to say, “It’s been a little weird wrapping my head around it. Part of me is worried and thinking, “Will I get another one today?”
On the mend: Chris kept fans awake today with his recovery and ran the London Marathon earlier this year, sharing an emotional moment after crossing the finish line
‘Can I have another one? Would the next one be even worse and would I lose the use of my arms or legs? I was really scared and just burst into tears.”
Chris was eventually transferred to The Royal London Hospital where he underwent further tests for five days before being released into the care of his concerned family.
He added: ‘The doctors said they saw some damage to the left side of my brain, from where your cognitive abilities are controlled.
“What’s scary is if I hadn’t called 911 when I did that and got to the hospital so fast that I don’t know if that clot could have traveled to the wrong place in my brain, I could have died. That gag was like a ticking bomb in my head.’
Doctors later discovered that the clot was caused by a small, previously unnoticed hole in his heart that allowed blood to flow into his brain – meaning he would need surgery to close it.