Save a hero by learning more about strokes

For many children, their grandparents and parents are their heroes who help them, nurture them and love them. What kids don’t know is that sometimes even heroes need help. 

According to the Angels Initiative, the risk of a stroke increases with age and, in South Africa, a stroke is the most common cause of death in people older than 50. This October (Stroke Month), the Angels Initiative is on a mission to save South African heroes by getting families around the country to join the FAST 112 Heroes.

According to the Angels Initiative, every day up to 360 South Africans are affected by strokes, with data suggesting that about a third of those who suffer a stroke will die, and a quarter will be left with a life-changing disability.

The FAST Heroes 112 team will be visiting schools to help children identify the signs of strokes, teach them what to do if one of their loved ones experience these signs, and turn them into the next generation of heroes. The team will provide the schools with material and teach them creative ways to remember all-important stroke facts so they can remember how to save their hero.

Angels Initiative project lead, Carica Combrink said it was important to raise awareness on stroke. “In South Africa, 10 people suffer a stroke every hour, getting the message across to as many South Africans as possible can save the lives of countless heroes.”

Combrink explained that a stroke is a ‘brain attack’ that occurs when oxygen supply to the brain is cut off by a blockage or damage to a blood vessel in the brain. “This causes the brain cells to die, which can be fatal or result in disability. The chances of recovery for stroke sufferers depend on somebody recognising that they are experiencing a stroke and getting them to an emergency hospital, fast. “

If you suspect a stroke, do the FAST test:

• Face: Smile and see if one side droops
• Arm: Raise both arms. Does one arm drift down?
• Speech: Repeat any sentence. Is there trouble speaking or understanding?
• Time: Time saved is brain function saved. A person loses 1.9 million neurons each minute in which a stroke is left untreated. Every minute counts in accessing care.

“The FAST Heroes 112 campaign aims to educate people about stroke and nourish the relationship between children and their caregivers, regardless of whether they are parents, grandparents or another person. If you think about it, in fighting against strokes, we are not merely mobilising against some disease, what we are doing is saving the experiences which so often gets stolen by stroke,” said Combrink.

The Angels Initiative’s awareness campaigns and training activities are supported by medical company Boehringer Ingelheim, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, stroke support groups, regional health departments and other role-players.

Some of the FAST heroes include professional rugby player and stroke survivor, Ethienne Reynecke and 17-year-old stroke survivor, Faure Louw. “The biggest mistake I made was to go and lie down when my symptoms started. When I woke up, I literally sounded like Zet,” said Reyneke.

“My daughter realised something must be wrong as she could not understand me, so she immediately told her mom, ‘I think daddy must go to hospital,’ because it was already more than 4.5 hours after my symptoms started, it was too late for treatment that could dissolve the blood clot that caused my stroke. As a result, I had to learn to speak and write all over again.

“My daughter probably saved my life that day. Become a FAST Hero like my daughter Layla and if two incoherent lips suddenly affect someone’s speech, suspect stroke and call an ambulance fast.”

Louw also explained her stroke experience. “It was like the left side of my body shut down. I could hardly hold a can of Coke as my arm didn’t want to work anymore. Even the left side of my face went weak. I recall when my friends came to visit me in the hospital I could only smile with the right side of my mouth. Because of my symptoms, I was initially misdiagnosed wasting precious time. Don’t make the same mistake, learn the 112 stroke symptoms and if one side of someone’s face suddenly starts drooping or one arm becomes week, suspect stroke, call an ambulance fast.”

Visit www.fastheroes.com for more information on stroke, to register as an ambassador or nominate a school to join the campaign.

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