An Alice Springs woman who had a stroke at the age of 43 is encouraging other Australians to know that stroke can strike at any age.
in 2019, Janelle Crosbie was at work when she started feeling unwell. Her client realised there was something wrong.
"I was making a coffee and didn't know that I was pouring water from the kettle all over my hand. I lost feeling in arm."
Janelle's client knew it was an emergency because they had been discussing stroke signs and risks minutes earlier as part of a consultation.
She was taken to Alice Springs Hospital where she woke up in ICU, unaware of what had happened. She was told she'd had a stroke as the result of a heart condition.
" I never would've thought I'd have a stroke at 43. I always thought it was for old people."
The mother of one was flown to Adelaide where she spent four months in hospital, learning how to walk again and regaining strength in her left side.
"The hardest thing for me was waking up in hospital surrounded by unfamiliar people and when I wanted to go to the toilet, I collapsed."
Janelle spent months away from her family but says she's thankful she wasn't alone on her road to recovery.
" I'm grateful for the support I got at the hospital. It's hard work but you just have to keep pushing through. My Recovery would not have been as good without them. It's about doing recovery together "
To mark National Stroke Week (August 7-13), Stroke Foundation is encouraging the community to fight stroke together by bringing people together to share knowledge, support and resources to help prevent strokes from occurring.
" I'm sharing my story to educate others so they know that stroke doesn't just happen to older people, it can happen to young people too." Janelle said.
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy says, as demonstrated in Janelle's story, there's a common misconception that stroke only happens to the elderly.
"Stroke can happen to anyone, at any time. Even newborn babies have strokes." Dr Murphy said.
Dr Murphy is joining Janelle's calls for people of all ages to know that stroke can stroke at any age and to be prepared by knowing the F.A.S.T message which outlines the signs of stroke and stresses the importance of calling an ambulance immediately.
"We know the faster an adult or child with stroke gets to hospital and receives medical treatment, the better their chance of survival and a good recovery. Learning the F.A.S.T. message can make a real difference."
Think F.A.S.T and ask these questions:
Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms - Can they lift both arms?
Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time - Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.
National Stroke Week is Stroke Foundation's annual awareness campaign. You can support the campaign by sharing, retweeting, or creating your own social media post on any platform. Learn and share the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke and call triple zero (000) straight away if you suspect a stroke.
National Stroke Week is proudly supported by Major Sponsors: EMVision, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca, and Supporting Sponsors: Precision Group and Rossmax Australia.
