The 44-year-old singer Lira whose real name is Lerato Molapo sat down with her neighbour and friend Relebogile Mabotja on Radio 702, for her first interview with the media since April 2022 to share her story about the stroke.
The first thing Lira said was, “I’m very excited.” Because I am able to speak.
The singer’s joy in being able to speak is understandable.
Lira disclosed that she had been diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension.
On Friday, she also revealed that she has made significant progress over the past 14 months and added that aphasia is reversible.
“I get surprised with how much progress I’m making, and today is a good day,” said Lira.
Mabotja questioned Lira about her decision to speak publicly now, and she replied: “People have been asking me to share my story, and I wasn’t ready because I couldn’t talk. I wasn’t ready to speak in a conversation, but now I am ready.”
Then Lira explained what had transpired in Germany.
“I was in Frankfurt, Germany, and I was excited about being there. It had been three years since I had travelled overseas…I was there on tour, and I left two days before the show,” said Lira.
Lira claims that she went for a walk a day before her performance for sightseeing, but soon became “uncomfortable”.
“I had a stroke at about 16:30,” she said.
“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,”
“I wasn’t lost, but I have been walking around. The hotel was nearby,” she added.
Lira said her intention was to ask the staff in the restaurant to help her out, but her voice didn’t come out and eventually she found her way back to her hotel and tried to call her partner the moment she realised that she wasn’t able to read.
She further said if one looked at her, at that time, you wouldn’t tell that something was wrong with her because she was physically okay.
Lisa, her manager only realised the next day that something was wrong and an ambulance was called. When Lira arrived at the hospital she was told that she had a stroke.
“Wow! I was shocked. I’m too young to have a stroke. Not me. Not me. Not me. I cried. I cried because how was I going to tell my parents? I was alone.”
Lira was brought back to South Africa to began her speech therapy two weeks later.
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