‘I played my last professional football match one day and had a stroke the next’

The legendary Irish League striker is hoping to raise awareness as the number of people living with stroke in NI rises by over 20% in a decade

Back in April 2022, Andy Waterworth was celebrating his retirement from sport, having played the last professional football match of his career for Glenavon only the day before.

But unbelievably just the very next day, the legendary Irish League striker and now Director of Elite Player Development at the Irish Football Association, had a stroke.

Aged 36, Andy was in peak physical health. As a successful footballer who played for Glentoran, Linfield and Glenavon, to name but a few, Andy was fit, stuck to an extremely healthy diet and had regular player health checks. He was the last person you would imagine having a stroke.

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Andy says: “I was in shock. Never in a million years did I think that I would have a stroke. As an athlete, health and fitness is the number one priority and to be fit and well one minute and have a stroke the next was unbelievable.”

He added: “I feel lucky that I’ve recovered well. It was discovered I had a Patent Forman Ovale (PFO) which is a hole in the heart. This is what caused the stroke, and I had surgery to close the hole. Thankfully, I made a brilliant recovery. One week later I was back on the golf course, although I took it easy. Six weeks later I was back at work at the Irish Football Association.

“Having a stroke put things into perspective for me and now I’m happy and enjoy spending more time with my family, having holidays and continuing to work in a job that I love.”

Andy is among three local sporting legends who have experienced the potentially devastating impact of stroke supporting a new awareness campaign as the number of people living with stroke in Northern Ireland rises by over 20% in a decade.

This week sees the launch of leading local health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s (NICHS) new stroke awareness campaign. Over the past 10 years there has been a 23% increase here in the number of people registered with their GP as having had a stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke.

This increase is hugely worrying for the charity and through this campaign it is working to raise awareness of stroke symptoms and remind the public to act FAST if they spot any symptom of stroke: Face – is it drooping on one side? Arms – is there arm weakness? Can the arms be raised? S – Speech – is it slurred?”

Alongside Ulster and Ireland rugby legends Chris Henry and Kathryn Dane, Andy is supporting the campaign to make people aware of the FAST acronym and highlight that if they experience, or see in others, any symptom of stroke, to get to hospital as soon as they possibly can.

He explained: “I’m supporting Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s campaign to raise awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone at any age. Although the symptoms of my stroke didn’t present themselves in the way of the FAST acronym, mine were visual disturbance and balance difficulties, it is so important for people to be aware of FAST and to get to hospital as soon as possible if they see any sign of stroke.

“I would appeal to everyone, if you don’t feel right go and get yourself checked out as a matter of urgency. With strokes it is so important to get seen as soon as possible.”

Dr Brian Gallen, Consultant Stroke Physician at the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, and NICHS Governance Board member, said: “This campaign is hugely important as a reminder to the public of the symptoms of stroke and the need to get to hospital as soon as possible if any symptom is experienced. The FAST acronym clearly communicates the main symptoms of stroke; Face – is it drooping on one side? Arms – is there arm weakness? Can the arms be raised? S – Speech – is it slurred?

“There are however other symptoms to be aware of, and it is important these are not discounted, as Andy’s story shows. Other symptoms of stroke can include problems with balance and coordination, sudden loss of vision, numbness down one side of the body, communication problems in understanding speech, difficulty swallowing and sudden severe headache. If any of these symptoms are experienced, it is important to also seek medical attention as soon as possible.”

For more information, please visit nichs.org.uk/FAST.