Tipperary man Martin Quinn joins in stroke survivors' protest

Each year 8,000 people a year have a stroke and 1 in 4 of them are under 65.

 Tipperary man Martin Quinn is one of those in that category having suffered a stroke over five years ago. 

Mr Quinn was one of a number of stroke survivors who protested outside Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital on World Stroke Day, Monday October 29th, over what they describe as “an imminent threat” to the national service delivering thrombectomy, the most effective lifesaving treatment for stroke. 

The Irish Heart Foundation says the HSE has failed to fund a replacement of the machine in Beaumont used for most thrombectomies, despite calls from doctors in the hospital and its own National Stroke Programme.

Mr Quinn said that he wants to let stroke survivors know that they are not alone. 

"I suffered a stroke while doing an interview on my local radio station and I had to fight hard to regain my speech and my independence. 

“Stroke is unlike any other disease, it can hit anyone, of any age at any time. If it doesn’t kill you it can rob you of your power of speech, leave you paralysed, forced to spend the rest of your life dependent on others. 

“Survivors struggle to get their lives back on track post discharge and those who are unable to return to work, like myself, experience a huge loss in income".

The Irish Heart Foundation has developed a Stroke Manifesto which sets out a rationale for upfront investment in acute, rehabilitation and community services that have been proven to reduce death and disability rates among stroke patients, as well as cutting service costs.

Mr Quinn says that there are over 50,000 stroke survivors in Ireland. 

"With modest investment in hospital and community services we could see a life changing impact on many people. It saddens us to see another Budget pass with no investment in services for stroke survivors. 

“Existing funding in vital community rehabilitation programmes provides an average of less than two physiotherapy sessions a year for stroke survivors with often complex physical, communication and psychological difficulties due to their brain injury".  

  "Hundreds of people are still dying every year when their lives could be saved, and thousands more are not receiving basic services that would enable them to make the most of life after stroke”

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