A BRAVE musician will play two charity gigs to raise money for two hospitals despite being paralysed down one side of his body Mark White, 42, from Langdon Hills, spent a month in a coma after suffering a stroke and a massive brain haemorrhage in 2006.

But the determined musician has carried on drumming and will be holding two special gigs to raise money for the stroke wards at Basildon and Southend Hospitals.

He hopes the gigs will encourage other men to get their health checked, particularly if they suffer from high blood pressure.

He said: “My blood pressure was checked. It was ever so slightly high and really I should have got that looked at.

“The doctors said they didn’t know how I survived. They think because I had been drumming for 33 years, my brain was a bit stronger.”

He called on other men to act now before it was too late, adding: “If you are at the doctor for something else, then ask for a blood pressure check. Men are terrible at looking after themselves.

“I had a few little warnings, but didn’t think anything of it.

“Once I got out of the chair and felt very light-headed, but being a typical bloke I didn’t get it checked out.

“I would advise people to not be afraid and if you have any concerns, see a doctor. You have only got one life.”

Mark will be drumming at the Castlemayne pub, in The Knares, Basildon, on August 28, at 7pm.

He will then perform at music store PMT, in Queens Road, Southend, on September 26, from 11am.

Mark has even recorded a video and posted it on YouTube asking people to get their blood pressure checked.