Welsh hot chocolate maker had stroke and continued to work for 14 months before finding out

A South Wales entrepreneur worked for over a year without realising he’d had a stroke.

Phillip Easton – founder and owner of Pip’s Real Hot Chocolate – had gone full-time with his business for only four months before the life-changing experience happened.

“I was a data analyst making premium hot chocolate on the side and selling it at local events and online,” the 41-year-old, of Mountain Ash, said. “After seeing how popular it was I realised I could quit my job and take Pip’s full-time.”

When he was 35, Phillip first noticed something was wrong when he experienced vertigo in early December 2015, leaving him unable to get out of bed for days. He didn’t realise he’d just had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) – a ‘mini-stroke’ which would serve as a warning for what came later that month.

He said: “I was doing my normal wholesale deliveries to cafés on the 22nd of December ready for the Christmas period. Everything was fine until I got out of my car and everything went sideways – another episode of what I thought was just vertigo. I crawled along the wall of the café and made it inside, making sure they got their hot chocolate before asking them to call me an ambulance.

“The paramedic came out and after assessment I was booked an emergency appointment with my doctor. Everything had settled quickly this time but things started spinning again when I arrived at the hospital and I was diagnosed with vertigo, being told not to drive.”

After the ordeal Phillip remained mostly in bed until New Year’s Eve when he was persuaded to leave for a small get-together with friends which caused him great fatigue.

He would do a little bit at a time over the months to keep the business running, doing just enough to keep his customers supplied.

“Over this time I would regularly visit the doctor, seeing a new one each time,” Phillip said. “Eventually I was referred to ENT specialists and then had to wait another nine months for my first appointment. At this point I was pushing for an MRI which I finally got on the 30th of January 2017.”

On Valentine’s Day 2017 Phillip was told the initial tests were inconclusive but noticed a note at the bottom ‘Is there a history of strokes?’

Phillip was stunned at this revelation and said: “I told the doctor you’ve just told me I had a stroke. I got hold of the images of the MRI from radiography and it turned out my cerebellum was damaged after a blood clot formed in my neck which had come about as a result of a minor neck injury. The cerebellum deals with balance which explained the vertigo perfectly.

“I was shocked. For over a year I’d been living with what I thought was ‘just’ vertigo but actually I’d experienced a life-threatening event. Even now I’m often unsteady on my feet and have some weakness on my left-hand side.”

Phillip often gets tired to the point he forgets simple words. He probably will remain on blood thinners and other medication for life but, although staying cautious and careful, he continues to work to deliver high-quality hot chocolate.

He added: “The most important thing is the business. I don’t let my customers down.”