Sky’s the limit to Victor’s recovery

A Sydney doctor who had a stroke on Christmas Eve is urging all Australians to learn the F.A.S.T. message.  

Aged 33 at the time, Victor Wei had been at the clinic for a few hours before he began to feel unusual.  

“I had some numbness in my foot and some clumsiness in my right hand. At first, I thought they were migraine symptoms, and then I collapsed,” he said.  

Victor was rushed to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where he underwent lifesaving clot-retrieval surgery. He spent three weeks in hospital and three months in rehab, away from his wife and three-year-old daughter.  

"It was really challenging being away from my family during that period, and it was especially heartbreaking because my daughter didn't understand why all of a sudden Daddy didn't live at home anymore,” Victor said.  

"Because of my medical knowledge of other conditions, coupled with the complacency of an otherwise fit and healthy 33-year-old, my initial symptoms didn't alarm me." 

Eight-months post-stroke, Victor spends seven days a week completing extensive physiotherapy.  

“I am really motivated in my recovery, I want to get back to taking my daughter to the park. My message to others is to not be complacent, if you have any doubt, get it checked out.”   

Victor is among the 145,000 survivors of stroke living in New South Wales. It is estimated approximately 29 strokes a day are experienced by Australians of working age (18-64) every year.   

As part of 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.  

 Victor says he is fighting stroke by putting everything he can into his recovery.  

“Even though my recovery is slow, I will keep working hard and I know I will see small improvements over the coming months. There is no hard limit to how much recovery you can make, you can keep learning and keep adapting,” he said. 

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy thanked Victor for spreading the F.A.S.T. message.  

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

“Stroke is always a medical emergency. Time saved equals brain saved. Stroke doesn’t just affect the individual, its impact is also felt by those who love them the most.”  

If you suspect a 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.