Wells unveils ‘Kojak look’ to support stroke charity

Wells unveils ‘Kojak look’ to support stroke charity

29 July 2015

SOUTH Down Assemblyman Jim Wells has shaved his head to raise money for the Stroke Association.

His new ‘Kojak look’ was unveiled on social media on Monday night as Mr Wells bids to raise money for an organisation which is very close to his heart.

The veteran politician’s wife Grace is recovering from a debilitating double stroke and will never walk again. And while the DUP man admits there haven’t been too many light moments in his life lately, having his head shaved was certainly one of them.

The 58 year-old DUP politician unveiled his new look on Facebook and admitted that before posting the photograph of what he described as “this truly shocking incident,” he issued a warning to anyone of a nervous disposition not to view his image.

“I put up a notice on my Facebook page in advance clearly warning people once they had recovered from viewing the devastation to my head to please consider making a donation to this great charity that does so much to help those who have had a stroke and those who care for them,” he explained.

The MLA said the idea for the charity head shave came from his daughter, Laura, who completed a fun run in Lisburn to raise money for the Stroke Association. Keen to do his bit, he used a voucher he had been given for a Turkish shave and haircut as a Father’s Day present.

With £300 raised within several hours of posting his new look, Mr Wells said he does not have a fundraising target in mind, but admitted it would be nice to get around £1,000.

The South Down politician and his wife had links to the Stroke Association before her current illness, which has left her in a Belfast hospital for six months.

“Grace and I would have gone quite a few times to Stoke Association dinners over the years and it was always a cause I admired,” he said.

Mrs Wells suffered two strokes, one on each side of her brain and was diagnosed with platypnea orthodoexia syndrome which is so rare there are only 50 cases worldwide each year. The condition means she has had a hole in her heart which had gone undetected but had been affecting her ability to breathe. Six months after the first stroke, Mrs Wells remains in a brain injuries unit but is due to be allowed home in September.

“When I went to the hospital after getting the hair cut, Grace was unable to take her eyes off me for the whole time I was there,” said her husband. “And this was after ignoring me for most of the 30 years of our marriage. She was staring at me in total disbelief. I have never had my hair this short.”

Mr Wells admits that his recreation of Telly Savalas’ tough New York cop Kojak, whose trademark prop was a lollipop, hasn’t been a total success.

He added: “There is one group of people who immediately say ‘who loves ya, baby?’ which was Kojak’s catchphrase and a whole other group of people who say ‘who is Kojak?’”

Donations can be made to the Stroke Association via www.stroke.org.uk/donate/make-donation, with Mr Wells suggesting people can also donate at www.justgiving.com/ Laura-Hawthorne.