Stroke victim's effort to say ‘I love you’ to partner on Valentine’s Day rewarded at ‘Life After Stroke’ Awards

They say love needs no words, but Phil Scott’s declaration on St Valentine’s Day was worth a king’s ransom in light of the mammoth effort it took just to say “I love you”.

The 47-year-old father-of-four from Midleton, Co Cork, suffered a massive stroke in January that reduced his vision, caused loss of movement in his right arm and leg, temporary memory loss and an inability to speak or understand language.

However, showing characteristic determination, he learned to speak and write again during his rehabilitation programme at Cork University Hospital (CUH). Yesterday, he was honoured with an Adult Bravery award at the Irish Heart Foundation’s (IHF) Sixth Annual ‘Life After Stroke’ Awards ceremony in Dublin.