Coleraine man Stephen doesn’t let stroke stop him

County Derry man Stephen Farlow suffered a haemorrhagic stroke in 2016 when he was just 36. 

Stephen and his wife Pauline were walking in Portstewart looking for a coffee shop and when Pauline stopped to speak to Stephen, she knew that something was wrong.

Speaking to the County Derry Post, Pauline said: “Stephen started speaking like he had stones in his mouth, and he said that he didn’t feel well. I got him to the car and could see he was losing strength in his arm as he was trying to put on his seatbelt. By the time I got him to the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine his co-ordination had gone. He was taken straight to A and E. It was a very surreal moment.”

Even though Stephen was told at the time that it was unlikely he would survive the stroke, he made an amazing recovery. Over the four months he spent in hospital, he could sing easily before he was able to speak again.

Prior to his stroke, Stephen was a musician working in a local music shop, had played numerous gigs throughout Northern Ireland and had recorded a number of music albums. As part of his recovery, Stephen’s family and friends would sing to him and he believes that this helped him to connect with music again.

Pauline continued explaining how much music means to Stephen saying: “Stephen played gigs up to six nights a week before his stroke. He was a very busy man. I worked as a healthcare assistant in the hospital. We were like passing ships in the night at one stage we were just that busy. We always set time aside once a week as our time together. We never had any family so we travelled all over the place and Stephen himself travelled all over the country and Scotland with his music. Whenever we went on holidays if there was a karaoke machine then we would be the first there as stars of the show. Stephen is his own one man band. He has 14 albums released to date. He has two post albums recorded post stroke. He has recently just released a new single. So music still plays as big a part in his life as it did pre stroke. He was always very busy with his music pre-stroke and it played a great part in his recovery. I feel if he didn’t have that to focus on then life would be very different for Stephen today. It is scary to think how different it would be. He focused on his music and it brought him to where he is today. 

“Stephen still does charity gigs, concerts, and plays in local residential homes. Whatever Stephen can find to do he will do it. What has happened to him and his disability doesn’t hold him back. It hasn't been easy. Some people can’t see past the disability unfortunately. Stephen’s conversation skills are a lot different to his singing skills. You will find that Stephen has difficulty making conversations but when he sings a song the words just flow. It is really amazing. They say it is due to the music coming from a different part of the brain. He plays keyboard live with one hand due to his right sided paralysis. He is very successful in playing his keyboard with one hand. He taught himself everything again from scratch.” 

Pauline continued saying: “It would be nice if people could see past the disability and the wheelchair. Give him a chance to sing for you rather than just listening to a conversation on the phone and thinking this man can hardly hold a conversation. How is he going to sing? He needs to be given the chance to improve himself. To the people that have helped him on his road to recovery. Thank you. Billy McFarland (Irish country singer) was a prime figure in encouraging Stephen to play and sing his music. Hugo Duncan was also great and encouraged him. Hugo actually came out and did an interview with Stephen when he was in his stroke recovery. He always encouraged him and played his music on his show. He helped to keep his name alive and out there. Hopefully Stephen gives other people inspiration to others that have struggled with stroke.”

Speaking on the power of music in aiding his recovery, Stephen said: “Music is my life - it means everything to me. After I had my stroke, I could only really say a couple of words and they were ‘keyboard’ and ‘guitar’, but I was using them in the wrong context. I was so determined that I was going to be able to perform at concerts again - it was all I wanted to do.”

More than a third of stroke survivors (35%) are able to sing better than speak soon after their stroke, according to new research released by the Stroke Association.

The charity surveyed 1,000 stroke survivors to mark Stroke Awareness Month in May and found that a third of survivors (33%) lost the ability to speak after their stroke, while over a third (35%) could sing better than they could speak in the days, weeks and months following their stroke. In fact, a quarter of people (26%) could sing or hum before they could talk at all.

In Northern Ireland, over 4,000 people survive a stroke every year, but surviving a stroke is just the start of a long and gruelling recovery journey. Research 2 has shown that singing after stroke can enhance communication and spoken language for people with aphasia. The Stroke Association’s survey found that over half of stroke survivors (54%) said that singing, listening to music or playing an instrument had a positive impact on their stroke recovery, with two in five (40%) saying music had a massive impact on their recovery.

Practically, almost two thirds of stroke survivors (61%) said that music helped to improve their communication skills after their stroke, while over half (51%) said music helped their memory, and the same number (51%) said it improved their sense of hearing.

From an emotional perspective, almost half (45%) of stroke survivors who said that singing helped their recovery, said that singing along to music after their stroke helped them to relax, while over a third (34%) said singing gave them hope as they could sing better than they could speak, and two in five (43%) said it made them feel positive again.

The charity also surveyed 2,000 members of the general public and found that the UK population is unaware of the significant communication issues stroke survivors can face, with more than a quarter (28%) unaware that communication difficulties are a common effect of stroke.

Beyond communication issues, people with aphasia often report that their wellbeing is negatively affected, including struggling with reduced confidence and social isolation.

Three in five stroke survivors surveyed (59%) experienced anxiety. Over half of survivors (56%) experienced low mood. Over half of survivors (52%) had reduced confidence. Two in five (40%) said they felt socially isolated after their stroke.

This month, the Stroke Association is encouraging people to raise their voice to help stroke survivors get the vital support they need after the devastating impact of a stroke. The charity has launched Sing4Stroke, a new fundraising initiative, where people can sing wherever they like - at home, on a live stream, at the office, at school or organise their own event, to raise vital funds to support stroke survivors and their families.

Craig Moore, Northern Ireland Engagement Lead for the Stroke Association, said: “Stephen’s story is very inspirational as it shows how singing can be a powerful tool in stroke recovery for people like him who experience communication difficulties. Because music and singing are processed in a different part of the brain to spoken language, some people with communication problems find that they can sing easily, even though speaking is difficult.”

“Now, we need singers to show their support to stroke survivors and their families. If you’re part of a choir or singing group, why not help us raise awareness of stroke this May and sing your hearts out by taking part in Sing4Stroke, and in doing so you’ll help make a lasting difference to stroke survivors and their loved ones.”

Sign up to Sing4Stroke at stroke.org.uk/singing