Renowned singer and songwriter, Lira, also known as Lerato Molapo, recently gave her first interview since experiencing a stroke last year in Germany.
The interview, hosted by seasoned broadcaster Relebogile Mabotja on Radio 702‘s ‘The Upside of Failure’, provided insights into Lira’s journey of recovery and resilience.
Aphasia Diagnosis After Stroke
Following the stroke, Lira was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage affecting language expression and comprehension.
Despite the challenges, the 44-year-old songstress has shown remarkable progress in her recovery over the past 14 months.
In the candid interview, Lira spoke about her journey, emphasising her astonishment at the progress she’s made thus far.
She conveyed her comfort in sharing her story and recounted the events of the day she suffered the stroke.
Lira described the sensation lasting approximately 15 minutes, an uncomfortable feeling in her head, as she walked into a restaurant intending to ask for directions to her hotel.
“The sensation lasted about 15 minutes. It wasn’t painful. It was an uncomfortable feeling in my head. I walked into a restaurant, and I wanted to ask them where my hotel was,” she recalled.
Unfortunately, her voice failed her, leaving her unable to communicate her request for help.
After returning to her hotel room and attempting to make a call to her partner, Lira realised she couldn’t read.
It was then that her manager, Lisa, noticed something was wrong, and she was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where the stroke was confirmed.
The realization of having suffered a stroke at her age left Lira in shock and disbelief. She recalled crying, feeling too young to be experiencing such a health event.
“I cried. I cried because how was I going to tell my parents? I was alone,” she said.
Although physically appearing fine, Lira experienced difficulty speaking and reading when the first responders arrived at her hotel room.
Her determination and tears alerted them that something was amiss, leading to timely medical attention.
Since the stroke, Lira has made significant progress in regaining her speech but remains speech-impaired, struggling with certain words. Despite the challenges, she has focused on appreciating life and not taking it for granted.
“It’s made me value life a bit more. When you have [a] stroke, it calms you from the stress of life. When I’m stressed, I can’t speak, so it is important for me to keep calm and peaceful, Lira revealed.”
Check out the full interview below:
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