'Awareness is survival': Man who had a stroke in his 40s credits life-saving FAST acronym as new data reveals 32% of Canadians don't know the signs of stroke
"I never had 'stroke' on my bingo card before it happened to me," says Carmi Levy who suffered a stroke 10 years ago.
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In 2013, Carmi Levy was enjoying a bike ride on a sunny day, a seemingly harmless turn of the neck caused a tear in his artery. Later that evening, he became paralyzed on one side and unable to speak clearly. Levy’s wife — recognizing he was having a stroke — had their kids call 9-1-1 immediately.
“I probably wouldn’t be here today if my wife hadn’t known what was happening right when I collapsed,” Levy says. “She knew about FAST from her training as a teacher, and she routinely discussed it at home so we were prepared if we suspected a stroke.”
Many people aren’t as lucky as Levy whose wife knew the critical importance of calling for medical help without delay. In the months after his stroke, he had many conversations with stroke survivors who had brushed off their symptoms and refused offers of medical assistance. Fears of long wait times at the ER even led one victim to ignore their partner’s pleas to call 9-1-1.
“You should never fear a wasted trip to the hospital,” says Levy. “It’s better to be safe now than sorry later. With something as irreversible as a stroke, you don’t want to take that risk.”
Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in Canada, with one stroke occurring roughly every five minutes. According to new data released by the Heart & Stroke Foundation, approximately one million Canadians are living with stroke, with 108,708 strokes occurring each year. The good news? If you know the signs and can act quickly when a stroke happens, you can increase the chances of a better recovery — and even save your or someone else’s life.
FAST: A lifesaving acronym
Heart & Stroke launched its FAST campaign in 2014 to provide people with a simple tool for recognizing the most common signs of stroke:
Face – is it drooping?
Arms – can you raise both?
Speech – Is it slurred or jumbled?
Time to call 9-1-1 right away.
Since the introduction of FAST 10 years ago, awareness has greatly increased, with a recent poll showing the number of Canadians who can name at least two FAST signs of stroke has doubled. However, the poll also indicated that despite this rise in awareness, there is still a long way to go, with 32 per cent of Canadians unable to name any FAST signs.
Time is of the essence
According to Katie White, director of health systems at Heart & Stroke, reducing the time between the onset of stroke and arrival at a hospital can mean the difference between life and death, and also lower the chance of a lifelong disability.
“Anyone witnessing or experiencing the signs of stroke should call 9-1-1 or local emergency medical services (EMS) right away,” White tells Yahoo Canada. “Lifesaving treatment begins the second you make that call."
Spreading awareness in diverse communities
While awareness of FAST has increased, there are still gaps, with Heart and Stroke’s poll showing disparities depending on gender, age, place of birth and race or ethnicity.
"Many ethnically diverse communities are less likely to be familiar with the FAST signs of stroke," says White. “We don’t know for sure why these differences exist, but we’re exploring targeted strategies to address these inequities.” This includes translating FAST materials into multiple languages and developing toolkits specifically for First Nations communities.
The poll also showed that older Canadians are more familiar with the signs of stroke and more likely to take action, perhaps due to the belief that only older adults can be affected by stroke.
As a stroke survivor in his 40s, Levy is no stranger to this misconception.
“At least one member of my medical team said she was surprised to see someone so young and healthy present as a stroke victim,” he says. “There were a lot of raised eyebrows and a lot of discussion around the root cause of my stroke, because of my age.”
A call to action
White says that with three out of 10 Canadians unable to recognize the most common signs of stroke, there’s still a lot of work to do. “There are still not enough Canadians who recognize the signs and know to call 9-1-1 right away if they witness or experience them,” she says.
Awareness is survivalCarmi Levy
Levy’s experience underscores the importance of stroke awareness for everyone, regardless of age or health status.
"I never had 'stroke' on my bingo card before it happened to me," he reflects. "I realize how easily things could have gone the other way if I hadn’t been surrounded by a family that knew what to look for – and what to do when they saw it.”
“If so much as one person hears my story, learns, and acts, then that’s everything to me,” he adds. “Awareness is survival.”
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