T&T’s acclaimed comedian Tommy Joseph has gone 180 degrees since being struck by a series of ailments in 2022 as his family prepared for the worst. Following his doctor’s distress calls, Joseph’s family gathered at his bedside and now he is recuperating at his San Fernando home maintaining a healthy diet plan, routine exercise, and abreast of all the current affairs. He is also looking forward to cultural events, notably working with the Kaiso House Calypso Tent.
Health issues came up when Joseph had to be hospitalised at the San Fernando General Hospital for fluid retention consistent with a heart condition.
While there, he was treated for an abscess on his chest and a cerebrovascular accident (stroke) to his entire left side.
Absorbed by the dilemma, Joseph’s wife, Judy Bacchus-Joseph, who spoke in an interview at their home in San Fernando, last week, said everything was sudden.
She said in 2019 his job became redundant at 105 FM due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, where he was one of the co-hosts for Mixed Nuts Morning Show alongside George Gonzales and Natalie Morales.
She said her husband’s bout of health issues was unforeseen and distressing. Bacchus-Joseph praised the power of prayers for her husband’s initial recovery as it was shared by many; including his personal physician Dr Sudesh Balliram, and former Community Development and Culture minister Joan Yuille-Williams.
She also said a lot of people did not know he had been ailing, but with the intervention of prayers and the help and timely medical appointments, his recovery had been consistent.
“When he fell sick, I started to end it in my mind and look at the worst case, he was wearing adult diapers. He was talking out of his mind, as they say, talking about things when you ‘travel’. It is a miracle. Somewhere along the line, somebody’s prayers were answered. We have good neighbors and well- wishers. We can’t forget people like Clyve Maingot , Sherwin and Rhonda Paul, Vidya, Shaquille Sparks, Keron “Shorty” Ettianne, who literally carried Tommy on his back; we are eternally grateful,” Bacchus-Joseph said.
A former secondary school teacher, Bacchus-Joseph said the task became gruelling to get Joseph up and down the stairs of his Embacedere home. She said they had to extend the living room into a temporary sleeping quarter for him.
Francis, I. (n.d.). Tommy Joseph beats stroke of ailments: Looks forward to getting back into Carnival, cultural events. Www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/tommy-joseph-beats-stroke-of-ailments--looks-forward-to-getting-back-into-carnival-cultural-events-6.2.1753918.9f2849a40d
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