Former New England Patriots linebacker and current ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi had a stroke on Thursday, his family said on Friday afternoon. The 46-year-old is reportedly “recovering well” after receiving medical attention.
Tedy’s Team has issued the following statement on behalf of the Bruschi family. pic.twitter.com/CuwmHobvl3
— Tedy’s Team (@TedysTeam) July 5, 2019
“Yesterday afternoon, Tedy had a stroke, known as a TIA. He recognized his warning signs immediately: arm weakness, face drooping and speech difficulties,” Bruschi’s family said in a statement. “Tedy is recovering well, and would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Sturdy Memorial Hospital for all they have done. Tedy and his family thank you for your ongoing encouragement, and kindly ask for privacy at this time.”
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Bruschi suffered a stroke in February 2005 when he was 31, just weeks after the Patriots won the Super Bowl, and learned that he had a congenital heart defect that produced a hole in his heart. He had a procedure to repair that hole and sat out the start of the 2005 season before returning to play in nine games that year.
The three-time Super Bowl champion told WCVB earlier this year that he remembers the time clearly. “It’s still like a vivid memory in my brain of when my neurologist put his hand on my shoulder and told me, ‘Tedy, you had a stroke,’” Bruschi said.
He played three more seasons with the Patriots, winning the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete in 2006, and announced his retirement just before the start of the 2009 season.
After his first stroke, he began spreading the word about the warning signs of strokes and created Tedy’s Team, a charity devoted to raise awareness in fighting strokes.
The Mayo Clinic defines a TIA as being “like a stroke, producing similar symptoms, but usually lasting only a few minutes and causing no permanent damage. Often called a ministroke, a transient ischemic attack may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who have a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the transient ischemic attack. A transient ischemic attack can serve as both a warning and an opportunity — a warning of an impending stroke and an opportunity to take steps to prevent it.”
The Mayo Clinic warns that “Since TIAs most often occur hours or days before a stroke, seeking medical attention immediately following a possible TIA is essential.”
This past April, Bruschi ran and completed the Boston Marathon for the third time.
