Seattle stroke survivor says quick action saved her life, it could save yours

Seattle resident Joyce Moty recalls the morning of July 11, 2022, the day she suffered a stroke, pretty well. "I remember feeling a little weird and noticing small things like I was having trouble typing and my right side was a little limp," said Moty. "I just couldn't attribute the feelings to anything specific, so I pressed on with my day."

A gardener at the Bradner P-Patch for over 30 years, Moty headed to her plot to get her hands in the dirt. She gardened for a while and as she was preparing to leave, she ran into fellow P-Patch gardener Pamela Williams, who is also a nurse practitioner. Moty greeted Williams and instead of responding hello, Williams said, "You need to go to the emergency room right away."

Williams recognized Moty's speech was jumbled and her sentences were strangely constructed. She suspected Moty could be experiencing a stroke and knew immediate action was needed.

May is American Stroke Month and the American Stroke Association is encouraging Washingtonians to learn the stroke warning signs using the acronym F.A.S.T. and how to respond when a stroke emergency is suspected. F.A.S.T. stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call 911. Often someone other than the person experiencing the stroke recognizes the signs and encourages action, which is exactly what happened in Moty's case.

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S. Most adults in the U.S. don't know the F.A.S.T warning signs of a stroke, and that stroke is largely treatable if you call 911 as soon as you recognize the symptoms. In Moty's case, she was taken to the hospital immediately, treated and recovered with no lasting impact. "I feel lucky and its important to me to help raise awareness about stroke so others can have the same positive result."

The American Stroke Association offers an online tool, the F.A.S.T. Experience, to engage users in a virtual educational experience that simulates stroke warning signs, allowing users to better understand what those experiencing a stroke go through and equipping them to spot stroke warning signs F.A.S.T. to help save a life in the future. This tool, plus resources offered by the American Stroke Association, are designed to raise awareness about stroke and save more lives. To learn more visit www.stroke.org/StrokeMonth.

Provided by American Heart Association