A MAN was left “pathologically generous” after suffering a stroke, according to doctors.
The bloke, known only as Joao, quit his job in HR at an insurance company in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to start selling French fries after suffering the medical event at the age of 49.
Getty – ContributorA man became ‘pathologically generous’, giving away free French fries to anyone who would ask, after suffering a stroke[/caption]
But the Brazilian would compulsively give away the food for free, leading his family into poverty, according to reports.
Medics believe his stroke caused brain damage that led him to become selfless to his own detriment.
According to The Atlantic, after the stroke he said: “I saw death from close up.
“Now I want to be in high spirits.”
Around 100,000 strokes happen every year in the UK, with some 1.3million survivors currently living in Britain, according to Stroke Association.
They are caused by the blood supply to the brain being cut off, starving it of oxygen.
This is a result of a blood clot in 85 per cent of cases, but can also happen because of a weakened blood vessel bursting.
People with high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes and an irregular heartbeat are particularly at risk.
Symptoms include the face drooping on one side or being unable to smile.
Patients may also be unable to lift their arms because of weakness or numbness, and their speech can become slurred or garbled.
Experts believe in Joao’s case, the stroke in 1990 caused brain damage that also led to finding difficulty in sleeping and a loss of sex drive.
It also caused him to forget things, have trouble focusing and to move slower.
The father-of-one would offer fries for free if customers asked him and would regularly give away any money he did make to children begging in the street.
His generosity led to problems with his family, with regular confrontations with his brother-in-law who co-owned the fry cart.
I saw death from close up. Now I want to be in high spirits.
Joao
Eventually the cart went out of business and Joao was reduced to living off his mother’s pension before dying of kidney disease in 1999.
However, he continued to give money away through his whole life because it gave him so much happiness, his neurologist said.
Previous research has shown that the part of the brain that produces dopamine — the feel-good hormone — is stimulated when people give things away.
A paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, found these parts of the brain were more active when people gave money away compared to receiving it.
Professor Jordan Grafman, of Northwestern University, said: “Our first impression was that we might see some activation in those circuits, just because usually when people give, they feel a little bit better.
“But we had no idea about the degree.”
Separate research suggests one of the reasons people do not give things away endlessly is the frontal lobe of the brain, which is able to see the big picture and possible downsides of generosity.
Doctors believe the damage to Joao’s frontal lobes from the stroke meant he would only feel the dopamine rush of giving away, without the ability to see how it might disadvantage him.
What are the signs of a stroke you should never ignore?
The signs and symptoms of a stroke vary from person to person, but usually begin suddenly
Face – the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm.
Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.
Source: The NHS