Julie’s life changed in an instant at just 38 years old.
"Dad found me on the floor. I couldn't get up," Julie remembers. "My left arm wouldn't move. When I tried to speak, the words wouldn't come. Everything I said was jumbled."
Her parents called triple zero, thinking she was having a seizure. But what the operator said shocked them to their core: "I think your daughter is having a stroke."
Julie's mother couldn't believe it, she thought Julie was too young.
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She's not alone.
Many Australians don't realise stroke can strike anyone, at any age. And many don't recognise the signs of stroke - meaning they hesitate to act FAST.
That operator knew the signs - and that knowledge saved Julie's life.
But just ten days later, while in rehabilitation, Julie's world was shattered all over again when she experienced another stroke.
This time, nobody recognised what was happening... until the next day.
By the time anyone realised what was happening, Julie had completely lost the use of her left arm.
When people hesitate to call for an ambulance, the consequences are devastating. Stroke doesn't wait. Every minute without treatment, brain cells die.
That's why your support today is so crucial.