3 days ago
From Breakfast DJ to stroke survivor in a split second
Imagine working as a busy DJ on a major Dublin radio station, while managing a rock band on the side, (as you do) and you will have an idea of what it was like to be Breakfast Show jock Gerry Stevens.
Also known as Gerry Lang, of the 'Lang' radio family, well-known in the world of Irish broadcasting, Gerry is a household name from his years behind the mic on RTE 2FM, 98FM, and Q102.
But nothing could have prepared him for what was about to happen on an ordinary day in November 2017. Gerry Lang. Pic: Supplied
Having done his usual Breakfast Show on Dublins Q102 that morning, Gerry was enjoying a quiet evening at home with his partner, now wife, Anne, when a 'brain hemorrhage' struck, and he found himself speeding by ambulance to the Stroke Unit of Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda.
He had suffered a 'Hemorrhagic Stroke' at the age of just 50. Hemorrhagic stroke is due to bleeding into the brain by the rupture of a blood vessel.
At the time, he'd been busy with his radio show and managing successful Cavan band 'The Strypes', and as he says himself, he wasn't particularly stressed at the time, neither did he believe he had any underlying conditions like high blood pressure.
He describes the evening in question very matter-of-factly saying 'I just felt a wave of nausea come over me', and something he described as a 'fizzle' in the back of his head.
'I just knew it wasn't right, it wasn't a headache, it was something much more than that'. Stock image of stroke. Pic – Getty images
Gerry admits he 'stupidly pleaded with Anne not to call an ambulance', but Anne knew this was serious and called the emergency services and luckily he made it to hospital in Drogheda in under 45 minutes where the medical staff in the stroke unit saved his life.
During many months in rehabilitation, Gerry met a lot of people in similar situations, and looking for something to do, decided to start a podcast, aimed at helping stroke victims and their families navigate this new reality they find themselves in.
Entitled 'STROKECAST', each episode features Gerry speaking with stroke survivors, as well as medical professionals involved in each case, and has proven to be hugely successful. Gerry Lang. Pic: Supplied
But after 7 years of recovery, he was recently approached by Dublin City FM about going back 'ON AIR', and as a man who lives and breathes radio, how could he say no?
So this Thursday, June 19th, 'Electric Dreams' will hit the airwaves between 7 and 9 pm on Dublin City FM 103.2 FM. Gerry describes the show as 'a celebration of synth pop and electronica' featuring all 80s and 90s synth and pop music, as well as interviews with bands from that era.
And as the old saying goes, 'You can't keep a good man down' – DJ Gerry Stevens, the man who survived a catastrophic brain haemorrhage seven years ago, returns to the airwaves this week and hopes fans will tune in to hear something 'fresh and new' for evening listening.
Tune into The Strokecast with Gerry Stevens – Podcast – Apple Podcasts
