Monterey, CA Be Aware Of Signs Of A Stroke And Call 911 Immediately If You Believe You Are Witnessing One

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Donna Arnett, president of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association is on a great mission of creating public awareness for strokes.  Although they can be devastating and even lethal, if not treated very, very, quickly, sometimes patients survive with little or no damage.  The key is getting help very, very quickly.  Donna should know.  She had a stroke at the age of just 27.  That's very unusual.  Less than 1% of the population in the 20-39 age group have a stroke.  The odds get increasingly worse as you age : 2% in the 40-59 age group, 6-7% in the 60-80 age group and about 14% for those 80 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Remarkably, Donna survived with no ill side effects, but she had a lot of knowledge as well, which helped.  At the time of her stroke, she was a nurse and worked for a cardiologist. She recognized the signs quickly and went to the hospital.  "By the time I got to the ER, I couldn't speak anymore.  It was really terrifying, being a health professional and knowing this was a stroke," she told USA Today.  She's working on a project now called Together to End Stroke, which helps people recognize the signs such as one side of the face drooping, slurred speech and weakness in one arm.  If you believe you may be having a stroke or are witnessing one, call 911 immediately.  Researchers recently found that one-third of patients didn't call an ambulance but rather drove themselves or had a family member drive them.  Those precious minutes could mean the difference between life and death.  Many stroke victims suffer brain damage, paralysis and other terrible ailments.  Thank you Donna, for spreading the word.