KOCHI: The excitement was palpable. The fact that some great sporting talents were present among the audience did nothing to distract the players. Instead, their resilience and determination, which helped them survive the stroke, shone through.
The Zesto Grounds, Kadavanthra, on Friday saw stroke survivors coming together to take part in the football match organised by the Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi, as part of the World Stroke Day.
Ernakulam District Deputy Collector Snehil Kumar Singh inaugurated the game by setting the ball rolling. “They prove that proper medication and treatment help stroke survivors get back to their feet. I request them to keep spreading awareness among others and help similar people get back to life,” said Snehil Kumar Singh.
The project was the brainchild of Medical Trust Hospital to dispel myths about stroke. “These survivors are the living example of the fact that strokecan be cured easily with timely medication. We hope the game will take the message to more people,” opined Dr Dilip K Mathen, consultant neurologist, Medical Trust Hospital. Medical Trust Hospital managing director P V Antony also attended the match.
“We were very excited when the hospital told us about the game. Most of us have completely recovered from the stroke. We hope our match will inspire others,” said Ramakrishnan, a survivor of stroke. Former Kerala Blasters FC coach Terry Phelan, renowned cricketers such as Tinu Yohannan, Basil Thampi, Indian football stalwarts such as Xavier Pius, C C Jacob, M M Jacob, T A Jaffer and S A S Navas attended the event.