Sinbad’s family say comedian is learning to walk again two years after stroke

In his own words the comedian said he ‘will not stop fighting until I can walk across the stage’

Best known for his stand-up comedy, Sinbad shot to fame in the 1990s after appearing on The Sinbad Show and would go on to star in movies including Houseguest, First Kid, Jingle All the Way and Good Burger.

The comedian experienced a stroke in 2020 after a blood clot went from his heart to his brain, meaning he had to undergo “a thrombectomy to remove the clot and restore normal blood flow to the brain.”

His family have been sharing his road to recovery, which has seen him having to learn how to walk again. They have set up a website to give updates to fans, but also fundraise for the comedian’s rising medical expenses. In his own words the comedian said he “will not stop fighting until I can walk across the stage again”.

So, who is Sinbad, when did he have a stroke and what has his family said about his recovery? Here’s everything you need to know.

David Adkins, who goes by the stage name Sinbad, is an American comedian and actor. Born in Benton Harbour, Michigan, the 66-year-old shot to fame in the 1990s for his stand-up comedy.

Throughout his career he has appeared in TV shows including A Different World and The Sinbad Show and movies including: Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid, Jingle All the Way, Good Burger, and Planes.

In 2020, his family announced that the comedian and actor was recovering from a stroke. They explained that a blood clot had gone from his heart to his brain, meaning he had to undergo “a thrombectomy to remove the clot and restore normal blood flow to the brain.”

Another blood clot formed the following day, with Sinbad having to undergo another thrombectomy, which “took a little more from him than the first surgery.” The Houseguest actor then had to undergo a craniotomy after his brain started to swell, he was placed in ICU and put in a medically-induced coma and a ventilator.

In the following months he was weaned off the ventilator and admitted to the California Rehabilitation Institute for therapy in May 2021, where his family said he began to make “considerable progress”.

What has Sinbad’s family said?

In a post on Twitter, they thanked his fans for their love and support since he had his stroke. The singer’s caption said: “Sinbad appreciates all the love & support you have shown him over the last two years. Many of you have asked for updates & as a result, the family has created a site where you can keep up to date with his progress.”

The family have set up the website to keep fans updated on the comedian’s progress but also to raise donations to cover the soaring costs of his medical expenses.

They write: “Our hearts were devastated. The road to recovery became unclear and extremely difficult for the family to navigate. It would be weeks before he would open his eyes, speak, or show signs of basic mobility. It wasn’t long before we realised 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.”

However, they gave an update that the comedian had come home, “nearly nine months after the initial stroke”, adding that he was continuing to receive therapy and fighting hard to learn how to walk again. They shared that Sinbad had said: “I am not done. I will not stop fighting until I can walk across the stage again.”

Reflecting on how far Sinbad has come, they said: “Survival odds from this type of event are approximately 30%. Sinbad has already beaten the odds and has made significant progress beyond what anyone expected, but there are still miles to go.”

A stroke is a serious life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off by either a blood clot or when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts. The sooner that someone undergoing a stroke receives medical treatment the better, it’s vital that if you suspect someone is having a stroke that you call for an ambulance.