A Stroke of Good Luck: Why Every Minute Matters in Response to a Stroke

Ronna Jevne | ARTA Member

On Tuesday, February 4, I woke up and began an ordinary day. However, at 10 a.m., I experienced a rather dramatic stroke. I had expressive aphasia (fully aware of what was going on but unable to speak) and serious motor impairment. Thankfully, my husband Hal was home and acted fast. He moved me to safety and engaged emergency services.

Mobile Stroke Ambulance: A Life-Saver on Wheels

Within minutes, the Mobile Stroke Ambulance (MSA) was dispatched, equipped with a CT scanner, lab equipment, and video conferencing equipment. Their onboard crew includes a CT tech, RN, stroke fellow, and two medics to diagnose and administer clot-busting drugs on the spot. Given the capacity for assessment afforded by the mobile unit, I was administered the lifesaving clot buster just 54 minutes after the onset of the stroke.

I was fortunate there were no further incidents in the critical first 24 hours. In the ensuing days, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and neurology – along with three CT scans and an MRI – concluded that I have no residual impairments.

Here's the miracle: there’s only one mobile stroke ambulance in Canada. It functions out of Edmonton and serves a radius of 250 kilometers. On the day of my stroke, it happened to be 10 minutes from our home. Without that service, my destiny would have been very different. Over 100,000 Canadians a year suffer a stroke, but unfortunately most do not receive intervention early enough to escape impairment.

Strokes come in two main types: ischemic (caused by a clot) and hemorrhagic (caused by a bleed). If you’re unsure how to quickly recognize the signs of a stroke, experts recommend using the F.A.S.T. method:

• Face – Ask them to smile. Is one side drooping?
• Arms – Ask them to raise both arms. Does one arm not lift as high, or at all?
• Speech – Ask them to speak. Is their speech slurred, or do their words seem strange?
• Time – Call 911 immediately. Every minute counts!

Advocating for 24/7 Stroke Response

Until recently, the MSA was funded by donors through the University Hospital Foundation and was only in service Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now a responsibility of Alberta Health Services, the ambulance operates seven days a week, but still only during a single 8-hour shift.

Given my good fortune, I feel compelled to pay it forward. I’ve written to the Premier of Alberta and the Health Minister to urge 24/7 service of the MSA. If you are also inclined to write someone, they tend to like the words “fiscally responsible,” and early intervention is highly cost-effective – the average cost of an ischemic stroke is minimally $100,000 per incident.

Although the MSA is now funded by Alberta Health Services, The Stroke Program Edmonton Zone could sure use some help expanding the education arm of their work. A designated donation can be sent to: The University Hospital Foundation (Charitable Registration #88900-3240 RR0001). Include “to be used to support the Stroke Program Edmonton Zone.” If you have questions about donations, contact Caroline Thompson at 780-900-3084. Of course, other organizations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation do excellent work to reduce and treat strokes.

When you experience a stroke, or any life-altering injury or illness, it becomes a time that invites reflection. I chose not to focus on the negative aspects of the experience, but to instead show gratitude: not only for my husband and his quick action, the urgent care I received from the stroke unit, and how I was treated with respect at the University of Alberta Hospital, but for so many other parts of my life. As a professor emeritus, my cognitive capacity is incredibly important to me, as it is for most educators. Because of the treatment I received, they saved that.