Man overcomes stroke to star in West End musical

An actor who overcame a stroke to star in a West End production has shared his story to mark World Stroke Day.

Adam Pearce, from Longfield, Kent, had a stroke in December 2022 when he was coming off stage at the Young Vic Theatre in London.

“I feared my stroke would end my career,” said the 40-year-old. “I sat wondering what life would be like for me now. I couldn’t move my arm or leg."

Mr Pearce had to learn how to walk again, but 12 months later he returned to the stage at the Sondheim Theatre as the Bishop of Digne in Les Misérables.

But Mr Pearce was not only focused on his career during his recovery.

"A big goal for me was to walk my son to school again... [he] has been my biggest champion throughout this," he said.

"It’s so much for an eight-year-old to process, there were times I’d wobble a little and I’d see the panic in his face."

The actor urged other stroke survivors to talk about their feelings as it can help them get better.

"Every stroke is different," he said. "I’ve found that reaching out to others who have been in a similar situation has been really helpful."

Mr Pearce said he was now focusing on "moving forward".

A Stroke Association survey found 94% of stroke survivors said meeting and talking with fellow survivors had aided their recovery.

Around 240 people a day suffer a stroke in the UK, according to the charity.

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