“It’s braid time!” Chico rocks pigtails as he reveals his jiggly abs at a summer party in London… four years after his stroke
Four years ago he suffered a stroke.
On Thursday, Chico rocked a pair of pigtails as he revealed his billowing abs at the Paul Strank Charitable Trust’s summer party in London.
Wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a band-style tee, the X Factor singer, 51, added a twist to his quirky braided look with a headscarf and velvet hat.
It’s braid time! On Thursday, Chico rocked a pair of pigtails as he revealed his billowing abs at the Paul Strank Charitable Trust’s summer party in London
The TV personality happily posed for photos at the bash, lifting her top to show off her rock hard abs.
At the same time, he showed off his baby blue Calvin Klein pants and studded leather belt.
In September 2018, Chico described himself as a “walking, talking miracle” after suffering a massive stroke while driving in Bognor Regis.
Whimsical: The X Factor singer, 51, wore a pair of ripped jeans and a band-style tee, adding a twist to his quirky look with a bandana and velvet hat
The singer revealed on Loose Women that he believed he was having a spiritual experience after he began losing feeling in his left arm and flared up as he relived the moment he thought he was going to die.
He said: “You could say I’m a walking, talking miracle. I’m so thankful to be alive. I was at Butlins and had finished a fitness class.
“I got in the car and phoned my wife on the A3. I literally lost touch with reality. I said “Hun, I think I’m having a spiritual experience, I’ll talk to you soon,” so I stopped.
Wow! The TV personality happily posed for photos at the bash, lifting her top to show off her rock hard abs
“I thought this was an awakening, an enlightenment, but it was a near-death experience.
I got to the parking lot and thought “I’m going to die and I’m alone”. It was a life review and I felt like I hadn’t fulfilled my lifelong dream.”
The life-threatening 2cm blood clot caused the stroke, which occurred while Chico was driving home to Barnet.
The singer felt his face drop at the wheel before losing all feeling in his left arm. He managed to stop at a pub before vomiting and passing out.
Terrifying: Four years ago, Chico suffered a stroke and appeared on Loose Women, where he recalled the horrific experience
“I thought, ‘I’m dying here,'” he said. “There was a pub far away, I managed to pull myself together, I had lost use of my left arm but had no idea I was having a stroke.
Visibly shaken, Chico then burst into tears as he recalled the thoughts running through his mind just before the blackout.
He sobbed: “I was looking at a photo of my family in my car and although I won’t see my daughter walking down the aisle and I’m not a grandpa.
“When I close my eyes and don’t wake up and I say to this spiritual god, ‘I just want you to know that I did my best.’ ‘
Health hazard: The life-threatening 2cm blood clot caused the stroke, which occurred while Chico was driving home to Barnet
The fitness fanatic woke up an hour and a half later and managed to go to the pub for a bite to eat, but without realizing the seriousness of what was happening, he began his two-hour journey home.
He said: “I went to sleep and in the morning it still wasn’t clear to me. I had to drive three hours to Skegness, do another fitness class and when I got home I was literally out of the running.
“I didn’t know it was a stroke. I’m all about the fitness and I thought it was a virus.
“I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he looked at the results of my MRI scan. There was a 50p clot on the right side of my brain. As soon as the doctor came back, he said, “It’s a stroke.”
Chico added that he still suffers from side effects, revealing that he has trouble saying full words and has left hand twitching.
THE CAUSES OF THE BLOW
There are two main types of stroke:
1. ISCHEMIC STROKE
An ischemic stroke — which accounts for 80 percent of strokes — occurs when a blood vessel that prevents blood from reaching a part of the brain becomes blocked.
2. Hemorrhagic stroke
The less common, a hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and floods part of the brain with too much blood while depriving other areas of adequate blood supply.
It can be the result of an AVM, or an arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal collection of blood vessels) in the brain.
Thirty percent of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage die before reaching the hospital. Another 25 percent die within 24 hours. And 40 percent of those who survive die within a week.
RISK FACTORS
Age, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, family history and history of a previous stroke or TIA (a mini-stroke) are risk factors for stroke.
SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding
- Sudden visual disturbances or blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
RESULTS
Of the approximately three out of four people who survive a stroke, many will have lifelong disabilities.
These include difficulty walking, communicating, eating, and doing everyday tasks or chores.
TREATMENT
Both are potentially fatal, and patients must be operated on within three hours or put on a drug called tPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) to save them.