Antonio Munoz suffered a stroke six years ago shortly after the death of his mum, Antonia, which led to the diagnosis of an underlying heart condition that could be fatal if undetected
15:49, 03 Aug 2026
Antonio Munoz suffered a stroke five weeks after losing his mum, Antonia(Image: Submitted)
A dad-of-two who suffered a stroke after the sudden death of his mother is campaigning for screenings to detect heart conditions like his. Antonio Munoz found out he had the genetic condition patent foramen ovale (PFO) when he was in his fifties. He now has memory issues and migraines, and the stroke has affected his sleep and eyesight.
Antonio is campaigning for tests to identify the genetic condition which can be fatal if left undetected. The former model and singer – who says he once turned down membership to the pop group which would become Take That – is calling for routine testing for the condition, saying that a younger person going through what he has gone through would be devastated by their loss of cognition and could be left unable to work.
PFO is an irregularity which allows blood clots to pass through the heart and reach the brain and other organs and arteries. Antonio’s PFO was only diagnosed after he suffered a stroke triggered by the grief of losing his mum six years ago.
Antonio believes if he had been aware of his condition, steps could have been taken which could have prevented his stroke, following the trauma of losing him mum, Antonia. The stroke happened shortly after Antonia’s death at 87. The mum-of-five was living in a care home and suffered from dementia. In May, 2020, Antonia was suspected to have a chest infection and end-of-life drugs were ordered. But it was three days until her family found out about the decision. Antonia was moved to Hull Royal Infirmary, but she did not recover.
Following Antonia’s death, and her treatment in previous care homes, Antonio began campaigning for Antiona’s Law, which would allow families to have a CCTV camera in a relative’s room, at their own expense, if they wished to do so. Antonio said: “I suffered the stroke five weeks after losing my mum through shock and intense grief. I was putting something in the washing machine and suddenly I was on the floor and couldn’t move. It felt like I had been hit by a sledgehammer. I couldn’t speak or do anything, but I could see my right arm as if it was detached. It was very surreal and very scary.
“I felt I was dying then, all of a sudden, my mum came to me. I knew she had passed but it felt real, like I was with her and I felt at peace. There was no pain, it was surreal – it was beautiful. She told me three times that she loved me and I said it back to her, then she disappeared, as if it wasn’t my turn to go. I believe she came to save me. My son phoned the GP and they were telling him what to do. My heart rate and pulse were sky high. This was in lockdown and within 24 hours, I was in Hull Royal Infirmary and they found I had a hole in the heart.”
Doctors said they found damage across Antonio’s brain and he was referred to Castle Hill Hospital, which specialises in heart care. Antonio said: “The heart and the brain are linked. I don’t drink and have never smoked and it was the grief of losing my mum that caused the stroke. If they hadn’t found the PFO, another stroke could have killed me.”
Nine months after his stroke, Antonio underwent keyhole surgery at Leeds General Infirmary to close the PFO. He said: “From a hole in the heart and the trauma and grief, this has happened to me. I’m in my late 50s and if I had known all this in my 20s or 30s, I would have pushed for a screening of my heart. It doesn’t guarantee things won’t happen, but you are giving yourself a better chance.”
The 58-year-old said he now “can’t do what I used to do”. “I have memory issues, I forget names, I suffer from migraines, I can’t sleep,” he said. “It also affects my eyesight. Imagine a teenager living their life like that, it could affect their work, family life, everything. I know how hard it is to live like this and I don’t want others to suffer.
“It’s affected every aspect of my life. Because it’s genetic, my children, who are 25 and 26, are going to be screened. It could happen at any age. I want them checked before anything happens. They might say they can’t afford to check everybody, but it has to be cheaper than lifelong care for stroke victims. I don’t want someone to end up like me who could have been treated and live life normally. If I can save one life, I’ve made a difference – I’m getting my children screened so that’s hopefully two lives.”
The foramen ovale is a flap of tissue which separates the two blood-collecting chambers of the heart. Before birth, the flap is open, allowing blood to pass from the right to left atrium. But after birth, the pressure in the left atrium increases and the flap is pushed shut. When blood flow across the foramen remains detectable, it is known as a PFO.
A PFO on its own is harmless and up to 20% of the population has them. When small blood clots form in the veins and break away, for someone without a PFO, they travel to the heart and are pumped to the lungs, usually without any issues. But for people with a PFO, there is a chance that the blood clot could travel through the hole, reaching the brain, causing a stroke which can be fatal or result in lifelong disabilities.
Antonio now suffers from seizure disorder and transient global amnesia (TGA) – a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss. Patients cannot form new memories or recall recent events, despite remaining alert, knowing who they are, and retaining normal thinking skills. PFOs can be detected using a bubble echocardiogram which uses ultrasound to detect small holes in the heart chamber. The NHS says they are usually only administered when someone under 60 suffers an unexplained stroke, low blood oxygen, or migraines with aura.
Antonio said: “Grief is a killer that people don’t take seriously. It can destroy the rest of your life. Doctors say it was the trauma of losing my mum that led to my stroke and TGA. Strokes can leave people completely disabled and can even kill. Knowing someone has a PFO means they can have it closed, which would save lives and save the NHS millions treating stroke victims.”
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