Frisco mom survives stroke thanks to quick action and advanced care
Time is the number one commodity in the Reid-Keen household. Life can be hectic, as you might expect for a family of five.
"I worried about getting the kids to their activities on time and making sure everyone had dinner—and making sure I wasn't late to pick the kids up," said Catherine Keen.
"We're running around taking kids every which way—soccer, baseball, dance," said Ryan Reid, Catherine's husband. "We were both working full time."
Flu slows family down
Reid-Keen household
But the family was forced to slow down when everyone came down with the flu during Christmas break at the end of last year.
"It just hit us all hard, and it took us a while to recover," said Keen. "It took me longer to recover."
Stroke strikes without warning
By early January, the 43-year-old mom of three was finally starting to feel like herself again. She decided to take a little time for herself and sneak in an early morning workout while the house was still quiet.
"My daughter was down the street at Grandma's, and Catherine was going to work out," said Reid. "I was going to take the boys and go have some dude time."
But that plan quickly changed. Before her workout even began, Keen knew something was wrong.
"I immediately felt dizzy, and I laid down on the floor," she said.
Son finds mom unresponsive
Just minutes later, her sons came downstairs and found her.
"I said, 'Mom, are you OK?' and 'What are you doing down there?'" said Nicholas Reid, Catherine's son. "She didn't respond to either question, so I'm like, 'This isn't funny. Stop.'"
Keen couldn't respond. She had just suffered a massive stroke. The clock was ticking.
Fast response saves life
When Reid got downstairs and saw that she still couldn't respond, he called 911. The Frisco Fire Department arrived within 10 minutes.
"They recognized it immediately," said Reid. "They said, 'We think she's having a stroke, and Plano Presby is the best place to go.' I said, 'I'll race you there.'"
Top stroke center in Texas
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano is one of fewer than 50 comprehensive stroke centers in the state.
"She had a devastating stroke," said Dr. James Tatum, an interventional neuroradiologist at Texas Health Plano. "She had no speech. She couldn't talk. She was completely paralyzed on the right side of her body."
Advanced stroke treatment used
Tatum specializes in treating stroke patients using advanced techniques.
"We're able to advance a catheter through the blood vessels to the region of the clot and extract it with suction, essentially reestablishing blood flow," he said.
Recovery begins within days
That life-saving technology, combined with the fast actions of everyone involved, is why Keen was discharged from the hospital after just a few days—and has since made a nearly full recovery.
"If it had been 30 minutes sooner, we would have been asleep. If it had been 30 minutes later, the boys and I would have been gone," said Reid. "With a stroke, every minute counts."
Stroke warning for others
That's what Keen wants others to know: if you see signs of a stroke, don't wait—call 911.
"I was so fortunate because my son found me in less than 15 minutes from when I went down," said Keen. "So I'm definitely a survivor. I'm so lucky."
Family grateful for recovery
"Lucky" doesn't begin to describe how her family feels.
"I'm just grateful—grateful that I can get back to worrying about silly stuff like the grocery list or cleaning the pool, and not when her next appointment is," said Reid.
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