Coronation Street star Chris Fountain applauded by Gemma Atkinson as he shares emotional news after suffering stroke
24.04.2023 - 07:09
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Former Coronation Street star has been applauded by the likes of Gemma Atkinson and Adam Thomas as he shared an emotional health update months after suffering a mini stroke.
The soap star, who is known for playing Tommy Duckworth in the ITV soap as well as Justin Burton in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, suffered a mini stroke in August last year and spent five days in a London hospital after waking up at home unable to speak properly.
Opening up about his terrifying health scare in October 2022, Chris recalled how he was left "speaking like a toddler" before doctors discovered he had suffered a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) – also known as a mini stroke – after a blood clot lodged in his brain. After several days of tests at a specialist stroke unit at the Royal London Hospital, medics determined the actor had a hole in his heart which had caused the blood clot to travel to his brain, triggering the stroke.
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Chris, 35, has since dedicated himself to raising awareness of the condition and on Sunday (April 23), completed the London Marathon to raise money for the Stroke Association. Sharing an emotional update as he crossed the finish line, he cheered: "I DID IT!!!!!!!"
He went on to share as he posed for a selfie with his medal: "From having a stroke in August to running a sub 4 hour marathon. I am beyond proud of myself. THANKYOU to everyone who cheered, donated, ran with me and everything else in between. I’m so, so happy. Will never forget this feeling."
The actor's former co-stars and celebrity pals flooded the comments to issue messages of support after the update. Brooke Vincent, who played Sophie Webster in Corrie, shared a series of heart emojis