Teen having stroke saved by friend on Snapchat

Yahoo

3 days ago

AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — A Portage County family says their teenager's Snapchat helped save her life.
Eighteen-year-old Lexy Eddy was at work after school when she began feeling off and losing strength down one side of her body.
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'A big woof of just lightheadedness rushed right over me, and immediately I felt numb on my left side,' she said.
The athletic and normally healthy teen admits she shrugged it off even as the symptoms intensified.
'I would take a drink of water and all the water came out of my mouth,' she said, 'Then I fell onto the floor and my coworker picked me up and put me in the chair and that's when I started snap chatting.'
Her friends on Snapchat immediately became concerned.
'They were like, 'Lexi, you look like you're having a stroke, why does your face look like that? '' she said.
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She fell again, and her co-workers called 911.
She was rushed to a local hospital in Portage County first. They realized she was having a stroke and quickly transferred her to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital, where the stroke team was waiting and confirmed the diagnosis.
'Honestly, I feel like my mind couldn't comprehend anything,' Lexi said.
Her parents, Melissa and Brian Eddy, were contacted and immediately raced to the hospital.
'I asked her to squeeze my hand, and there was nothing there, so then at that point, I was like this is not good,' Melissa said. 'But the stroke team was there, and as scary as that was, it was also a relief because we knew that they all knew their jobs. They were all on it.'
Fortunately, Lexi got to the hospital fast enough that doctors could treat her with the medication TPA instead of a more complicated procedure.
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'This medication breaks down the blood clot and restores blood flow to the brain, and this medication must be given only within 4.5 hours from the start of the symptoms,' said Cleveland Clinic Neurologist specializing in strokes, Dr. Yousef Mohammad.
Snapchat enabled 'snappy' care and a quick turnaround.
'She was almost back to normal after medication,' Dr. Mohammad said.
'I was scared that I wasn't gonna be able to feel that hand again, so it was a big relief for me,' added Lexi.
Tests showed the stroke was caused by a small hole in her heart, a patent foramen ovale or PFO.
Dr. Mohammad said the condition affects about 25% of the population. Often, people are fine, but Lexi will need surgery to repair the hole in June. After that, her prognosis is great.
'Once we close it her risk of having another stroke is very low,' Dr. Mohammad said.
The stroke occurred in March, right after Lexi's 18th birthday. On Thursday, she will graduate from high school and is looking forward to attending Kent State University.
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Both she and her parents shared their story with Fox 8 News to raise awareness.
They hope everyone will learn and watch for the following stroke symptoms, and if they see them, seek help immediately. They said it could make the difference between life and death.
Stroke symptoms:
Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
Trouble seeing, difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
Severe headache
'The doctor said that 25% of people were born with what Lexi has going on with her heart, so I guess speaking to another parent. I would say if there's an issue, or a doctor said it's not a big deal, just take a second look at it because she's only 18, she had a stroke,' said Brian Eddy.
'Like a lot of people don't expect it, but it can happen, and when you see the symptoms, I bet you have to react fast,' Lexi added.
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