A Stroke Team Success Story
“Good morning, Mom. Time to wake up.”
It was Wednesday about 8:30 am. At first Theresa thought her 99-year-old mother, Amelia, was just very tired.
“I couldn’t wake her up,” said Theresa. “After several minutes of coaxing her, her eyes still wouldn’t open, and she felt limp.” It was then that Theresa and her brother Vic realized that something was wrong.
Thankfully they called 9-1-1 right away. The EMTs arrived and assessed Amelia. Within moments they broke the news to the sister and brother. Amelia may have had a stroke. Theresa and Vic thought they would be heading to their home hospital several miles away. However, the first responders stressed that when a stroke occurs, time is brain. They immediately headed for the closest stroke receiving center — St. Francis Medical Center.
St. Francis was certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center in 2014. It is part of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services stroke center system, which includes 52 hospitals. St. Francis is dedicated to advancing its stroke care capabilities, and last year, the hospital completed the process of becoming a Certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center. In addition to having the high-level clinical team of experts to treat stroke patients, St. Francis also has enhanced technology, including a bi-plane cardiovascular and interventional imaging system, that enables medical professionals to perform neurointerventional procedures, such as removing blockages in arteries to the brain that can cause a stroke. This can save the lives of stroke patients as well as prevent the impairments that can result from a stroke.
Thanks to Theresa and Vic’s prompt call to 9-1-1, the EMTs’ recognition of Amelia’s stroke, and the St. Francis stroke team’s capabilities and response, Amelia received the immediate treatment needed to save her life and preserve her quality of life.
With the technology available through the hospital’s bi-plane suite, the doctors and nurses successfully performed a thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that removed the clot in Amelia’s brain using catheters threaded through arteries.
Dr. Pradeep Selvan, the neurointerventionalist who performed the thrombectomy, said, “Amelia, who is nearly 100 years old, presented with a near-fatal stroke. She underwent an emergency thrombectomy procedure and already seems to be making a full recovery. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
Amelia was awake, alert, and speaking. By Friday, Theresa and Vic were amazed that their mom was asking when she could go home. They said their mom was eager to get back to doing her favorite things – watching Law and Order, eating her favorite foods, and enjoying car rides.
Theresa and Vic said it was their faith and close-knit family that helped them through this event, along with the kindness and care of the hospital team. “The doctors and nurses did a great job of keeping us informed,” said Vic. “And we are grateful that St. Francis Medical Center’s stroke center was close by.”
Holly Maher, St. Francis Stroke Program Manager, emphasized that the collaborative, quick response of the family, the first responders, and the St. Francis stroke team were key factors in the excellent outcome for Amelia. She said Amelia’s experience demonstrates the importance of knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke.
“Our community often waits too long to seek treatment,” stated Holly. “The sooner the treatment, the better chance for a good outcome.”
She encourages everyone to learn BEFAST, an acronym that helps people remember the signs of a stroke.
B – Balance: Does the person have a sudden loss of balance?
E – Eyes: Has the person suddenly lost vision in one or both eyes?
F – Face: Does the person’s face look uneven?
A – Arms: Does one arm feel weak or numb?
S – Speech: Does the person have slurred or trouble speaking?
T – Time: Call 9-1-1- Now!
Holly said minutes matter when treating a stroke, both for saving lives and preventing impairments. She said the most important takeaway is this: “If you think you or a loved one is having stroke, don’t wait. Act.”
“Action” afforded Amelia and her family the chance to share cherished time together in the future. Theresa and Vic said enthusiastically, “Now our family can look forward to celebrating our mom’s 100th birthday.”
Neurologist Dr. Amirhossein Zangiabadi checks on 99-year-old Amelia and is pleased by her recovery following a near-fatal stroke.
