Stroke education vital in the NT

A Darwin man is using his stroke survival story to influence Northern Territory decision-makers to fund a lifesaving stroke awareness campaign.

Richard Crookes experienced a devastating stroke while in hospital, just one day before he was due to be discharged after back surgery.

“If I wasn’t in hospital at the time of my stroke, if I was at work out on my charter boat, I would have died,” Mr Crookes said.

“My speech was slurred, I experienced facial droop and had no movement in my right leg. Thankfully the nurse walked in as it happened, she was in the right place at the right time.”

Richard is one of more than 2,500 stroke survivors living in the Northern Territory. He is passionate about sharing the F.A.S.T (Face, Arms, Speech and Time) signs of stroke message and wants to see his region’s Government fund a F.A.S.T community education program. This week he’ll join Stroke Foundation representatives in meeting with politicians to share his experience.

“The Northern Territory Government has an opportunity to focus on stroke prevention, treatment and support, so more Territorians can avoid, survive and recover from stroke,” Sharon McGowan, Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer said.

“We’re asking the Government to deliver a Stroke Foundation multimedia F.A.S.T education campaign to ensure more Territorians can survive and thrive after stroke.

“Stroke is a time-critical medical emergency. The longer a person with stroke remains untreated, the greater the chance of stroke-related brain damage and lifelong disability. The more people in the community that know the F.A.S.T signs of stroke message and call 000 to get themselves or their loved ones to hospital, the better their chance of recovery.”

Stroke Foundation research has found 39 per cent of Territorians do not know any of the signs of stroke. That’s almost on par with the national average of 40 per cent.

“That’s an alarming statistic, and it’s simply not good enough. If the person standing next to you doesn’t recognise a stroke and act fast by calling 000, then your chance of recovery is significantly reduced. We need to educate all Territorians about the most common signs of stroke. We know that 80 per cent of strokes display at least one of the F.A.S.T signs,” Ms McGowan said.

“We’re urging all Territorians to learn the F.A.S.T message, share it with their loved ones, their families and friends, and call triple zero (000) immediately at the first sign of stroke.”

• FACE – has their mouth drooped?

• ARMS – Can they lift both arms?

• SPEECH – Is their speech slurred?

• TIME is critical. If any of these signs appears, call 000 immediately