Young Stroke Survivor At Astros Stroke Awareness Night
June 11, 2008 – 8:42 am
Just over a year ago, Nicki James received a sign in church one Sunday that changed her life. She suffered a stroke, and she was only 27.
On May 22, before a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park, James received a more welcome sign - the signal from a Houston Astros player to throw out the first pitch.
The now 28-year-old James is in good health, in large part to her fiancé recognizing her stroke symptoms and calling 9-1-1, so emergency crews could bring her to The Methodist Hospital in a timely manner.
During Stroke Awareness Night at Minute Maid Park, the first 10,000 adults 16 and older at the game received sports water bottles, courtesy of the Methodist Neurological Institute, along with F.A.S.T. cards that include an easy way to identify signs of stroke:
Face - Does one side of the face droop? Ask the person to smile.
Arm - Does one arm drift downward? Ask the person to raise both arms.
Speech - Does their speech sound slurred or strange? Ask the person to repeat a simple phase.
Time - If you observe any of these signs, then it’s time to call 9-1-1.
It is important to go to a certified stroke center, like Methodist‘s Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center, after suffering a stroke. Currently, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only FDA-approved clot-busting drug to treat acute ischemic stroke patients, but it must be administered within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms.
During a pre-game ceremony, Methodist will honor Astros owner Drayton McLane for his and the Astros dedication to helping spread awareness about stroke and their participation in The Methodist Hospital System’s second annual Stride4Stroke 5K Walk/Run on March 8. McLane was honorary chair of the event.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. During the average length of a Major League Baseball game, more than 200 Americans will have a stroke and more than 50 will die from a stroke.
- Learn about Methodist’s Stride4Stroke campaign.
- Read about Methodist Neurological Institute.
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