Fighting spirit drove Terry’s recovery

A Mannum nurse believes her husband may not be alive today if she didn’t advocate for his recovery following a devastating stroke. Terry Vine was at home with her husband, also named Terry, when their lives changed forever in 2015.  

She walked outside and found Terry, aged 62 at the time, looking grey and nauseous. She followed her instincts and called 000 immediately.  

“Terry was taken to the local hospital before he was transferred to Adelaide. Doctors were performing a number of tests on him, but it wasn’t yet clear that he’d had a stroke,” Mrs Vine said.  

“At 7 o’clock the next morning I received a call saying he was in a critical condition. We were told he’d suffered a major brain bleed, and he would never recover.”  

What followed were many daunting weeks in intensive care.  

“The hospital was urging us to send Terry to the local nursing home due to his condition. I refused to give up. I wanted him to go to rehab and have a fighting chance at recovery,” she said.  

“I knew he had it in him. Despite being in a vegetative state he would rub my hand. I didn’t give up, and eventually he was sent to rehab.”  

“Fast forward five years, after many hours of rehab and lots of hard work, Terry is able to walk around the house unaided. We’ve also been on holidays, both locally and overseas. That’s something the doctor’s thought would never be possible.  

Terry is among the 35,000 stroke survivors living in South Australia. The couple believe their determination and willingness to fight stroke together helped achieve a positive outcome in his recovery.  

To mark National Stroke Week (August 7-13), Stroke Foundation is encouraging the community to fight stroke together by bringing people together to share knowledge, support and resources to help prevent strokes from occurring and to aid in the recovery process for those who have experienced a stroke. 

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy said Terry’s medical background may have saved her husband’s life.  

“We know that the faster a stroke patient gets to hospital and receives medical treatment, the better their chance of survival and successful rehabilitation,” Dr Murphy said.  

“More than 80 per cent of strokes are preventable. You can help saving a life by learning the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke.” 

Think F.A.S.T and ask these questions:   

Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?  

Arms – Can they lift both arms?  

Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?  

Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away  

National Stroke Week is proudly supported by Major Sponsors: EMVision, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca, and Supporting Sponsors: Precision Group and Rossmax Australia.