Proud Noongar man, Uncle Ernie, was shopping in 2016 when he suddenly felt numb and collapsed on the floor, in front of his mother.
"It hit me straight away. I went 'whack' and hit the ground and woke up in the hospital."
The then-57-year old had a massive stroke. He had surgery on his brain to remove the clot and had to be resuscitated on the operating table.
"I was dead for 10 minutes. When I woke up I didn't know what had happened or where I was."
Uncle Ernie was in hospital for 7 weeks. He had to undergo extensive rehabilitation for almost a year to learn how to walk and talk again.
"I was crawling like a little baby. I had my independence taken away. It was a long journey but I got there."
The Morley man's journey was spurred on by the love of his horses, Black Beauty and Princess and reconnecting with his culture through art therapy, song and weekly yarning group.
"The yarning group is great for support and I am able to pass on what I went through with them through storytelling and by sharing my story I can look after the others in my yarning group."
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 and to aid in the recovery process for those who have experienced a stroke.
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy said Uncle Ernie's story is a great example of communities working together to fight stroke.
"Uncle Ernie's connection to his yarning group is a wonderful example of the important role community plays in stroke recovery and in educating and sharing important information."
Compared to non-Indigenous Australians, First Nations peoples are 1.7 times as likely to be hospitalised after a stroke and 1.5 times as likely to die from a stroke.
This Stroke Week, Stroke Foundation is urging Australians to know the F.A.S.T. message and share the life-saving knowledge with their friends, family and colleagues to play their part in reducing disability and death caused by stroke.
"We know the faster a stroke patient 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 and an save a life."
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 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.
