On 8 March 2015, Gerrit Wilps, then 58 and from Hellendoorn, was at a game in Spaarnwoude with his hunting dog when he suddenly became unwell. He was later diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack and was unable to raise his shoulders. He asked for the car keys to drive back, but his condition then deteriorated and a cerebral infarction paralyzed half of his body.