Sinbad's Family Says His “Progress Is Nothing Short of Remarkable” Two Years After Stroke

Two years after his stroke, Sinbad is working diligently towards making a full recovery, promising his fans he won't stop until he can make it back on stage again.

On Monday, the comedian's family shared a photo of him on Instagram doing physical therapy to re-learn how to walk following his ischemic stroke and giving an update about how he's doing. Along with the image, his family released a statement explaining Sinbad's health struggles up to this point. In October 2020, the star had a stroke caused by a blood clot that traveled from his heart to his brain. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors performed a thrombectomy to remove the clot and restore blood flow to the brain. Following the operation, the actor was still weak, but mobile and talking and his “prognosis was very promising.” However, another blood clot formed the following day and he had to undergo another successful thrombectomy that “took a little more from him than the first surgery.”

But from there, things took a difficult turn as Sinbad's brain began to swell forcing his medical team to perform a craniotomy to relieve the pressure and reduce swelling. But during that operation they discovered a bleed and had to immediately transfer him to a neuro-ICU where he was put in a medically-induced coma and placed on a ventilator. His family wrote, “Our hearts were devastated. The road to recovery became unclear and extremely difficult for the family to navigate.” They continued, “It would be weeks before he would open his eyes, speak, or show signs of basic mobility. It wasn’t long before we realized he couldn’t move his left side or simply hold his head up. The more time passed the more the family learned how much had been lost.”

Over the next few months, the Jingle All the Way star was slowly weaned off the ventilator and around May 2021 began intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. “It was there Sinbad started to make considerable progress toward recovery,” they wrote. And last July, almost nine months after his initial stroke, Sinbad “finally came home.” His family shared, “He continues to receive therapy, fighting for every inch. His progress is nothing short of remarkable. Limbs that were said to be ‘dead’ are coming alive and he’s taking the steps necessary to learn to walk again. In his own words, ‘I am not done. I will not stop fighting until I can walk across the stage again.’ And neither will we.”

His family added that the “survival odds from this type of event are approximately 30 percent. Sinbad has already beaten the odds and has made significant progress beyond what anyone expected, but there are still miles to go.” But it's also been an incredibly expensive road to recovery with insurance not covering the full cost of his physical therapy, which is why the comedian's family set up a donation page for his medical expenses. All proceeds will go to the Adkins Trust “to help provide for Sinbad’s care and help him continue to fight this battle.”

They concluded their update by writing, “The family believes, without exception, Sinbad is here because of the multitude of prayers from all who know and love him. We are eternally grateful. Every outpouring of love and the memories of how he has touched all of you have not gone unheard, unseen, or unfelt. Thank you. You have lifted his spirits along the way and inspired the entire family.” And Sinbad also shared a message of his own on the website, writing to his many supporters, “Thank God for everything He's given you, even if it's not everything you asked for. Thank God for family and hug the ones you love while you're still with them. We need each other to get through this journey. I can’t wait to see you all again soon. As always, stay funky, stay prayed up.”