GMA Films president Annette Gozon Valdes reveals she suffered stroke

GMA Films president Annette Gozon Valdes on Saturday revealed that she had just survived a stroke.

In a Facebook post, Valdes, who is also programming consultant to the GMA chair, said she had a stroke on May 25.

“I had a stroke last May 25 and by God’s grace, there was no impairment whatsover. Due to this, I also found out I had a hole in my heart since birth and now it has been plugged,” she wrote.

She shared that around 1 p.m. of that day, she saw “zapping zigzag lights on my right eye and when I stood up, my vision started spinning so I sat down, closed my eyes for 1 or 2 minutes while praying to God.”

Valdes said the dizziness was gone when she opened her eyes, so she went back to her normal routine, adding that her vision “was completely restored after about 4 hours.”

Her husband Shintaro, however, panicked when his friends told him “it may be something serious” and recommended she see a doctor as soon as possible.

On May 29, she took an MRI test, which revealed that she had a stroke on three different areas of her brain.

She was then advised that she would have to be admitted to a hospital. “Given the size of the stroke, it was truly miraculous that I had no impairment whatsoever!” said Valdes.

At the hospital, she went through several tests to determine the cause of her stroke. The tests showed she “had a congenital hole in my heart (patent foramen ovale or PFO) which causes turbulence in the blood flow … which would have caused the clots that reached my brain.”

On June 3, she underwent a procedure to have the hole closed, which lasted for about 40 minutes.

The surgery was a success. “I am now home, just resting for a few days then I am better than new! No lifestyle or diet changes needed,” said the GMA executive.

“God is a god of miracles,” she said, recalling her experience. “The stroke should have impaired my vision and balance. But it did not.”

She also said that if the hole was discovered when she was younger, she would have needed an open heart surgery to repair it.

“The best thing of all that I realized is that I am really ready if and when God calls me back. I felt no fear whatsoever from the time my vision got impaired up to now that I am back home. In fact, I even felt excitement in case God called me home,” said Valdes.

“But my life and my journey continues. I am still treading the road of sanctification. I can’t wait for what lies ahead here. But even more so, I can’t wait for what lies ahead there.” – RC, GMA News