This is a book of true stories about ordinary people – people who didn’t know much about strokes until they experienced one. They got to the right place at the right time and received stroke reversal treatment that got them back to living normal lives. They and their families agreed to tell their stories in the hope that others will have the same successful outcomes. Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death. Every year, 750,000 Americans suffer a stroke, one every 47 seconds. There are 4 million stroke survivors, many living with severe disability. Despite its prevalence, stroke is poorly understood. Here are a few important facts:

• Strokes happen to the brain, not the heart.
• Many strokes are not associated with any pain or headache.
• People in every age group are at risk for stroke.
• Strokes can be prevented and reversed. In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first treatment to reverse strokes. Despite great hope that the number of disabling strokes could be significantly reduced, ten years later only 2-4 percent of stroke victims in the United States receive this revolutionary treatment. The reasons why so few people receive treatment are complex.
• Because strokes cause paralysis, difficulty with speech, and/or confusion, the patient is often not able to summon help.
• Others must recognize the symptoms and call for emergency assistance, thus initiating what is called “the chain of survival” (see page 6 of 911 Stroke).
• The emergency responders have to recognize the symptoms, gather important information and transport the patient to a “stroke-ready hospital” (see page 7 of 911 Stroke).
• The “stroke-ready” hospital must have specialized staff and equipment ready to provide stroke reversal treatment
  at all times of the day and night. The stories in this book are about cases where everything fell into place to produce great results. The symptoms were recognized in time, the emergency personnel on the scene were prepared to act quickly, and the staff at the receiving hospital was competent and “stroke-ready.” This could be the norm rather than the exception if we as a nation focus attention and resources on stroke awareness and treatment as we have for heart attack in the past.
  

Rob and Marilyn Rymer have lived and worked in Kansas City since 1980. Rob is an ophthalmologist and Marilyn is a neurologist. This book is full of dramatic and compelling stories about real people who had catastrophic strokes and miraculous recoveries. It is also a practical guide to understanding how to recognize a stroke and what to do when one occurs.

This book is dedicated to the patients and families who shared their stories and
to the stroke team that took care of them. Our sincere thanks to Jane Mobley, Ph.D.
and Edward T. Matheny, Jr. for their critical review and editorial expertise.

This book is published through a grant to the Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation. The authors received no commercial support. Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Saint Luke's Hospital Foundation to benefit stroke research and education.