Fitzgibbon Hospital receives Spot-A-Stroke Award for recognizing woman's stroke symptoms
Brenda Mull celebrated her birthday in February 2015 just the way she preferred – with dinner and family at home in Malta Bend, MO. It wasn’t until she and her husband, Robin, were saying goodbye to family members that they first noticed something was wrong. Brenda sat down. Her speech was slurred. The festivity turned to concern and they asked, "Are you ok?"
Recognizing the seriousness of Brenda’s condition, Robin picked her up and carried her to the car. He drove immediately to the emergency department at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, where Darin Haug, D.O., met them. Dr. Haug, accompanied by Megan Livengood, R.N., recognized Brenda’s stroke symptoms right away, and implemented screening exams. He also contacted neurologists at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute in Kansas City, the closest Missouri Level I TCD hospital, and the nation's 77th accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center.
In addition to slurred speech, Brenda experienced weakness and facial droop on the left side. tPA, the clot-busting drug, was advised. Brenda was taken aboard a helicopter, bound for Kansas City. Her husband, Robin, already was driving west on I-70. He reached Blue Springs when Brenda’s helicopter flew overhead on its way to Saint Luke’s.
The source of Brenda’s stroke was a large clot in her middle cerebral artery. Because of the quick action of her family and Dr. Haug’s team at Fitzgibbon Hospital, Brenda stood a good chance of recovery. At Saint Luke’s, Brenda was taken into Interventional Radiology, where the clot was removed. Brenda regained use of her left side almost immediately. Two days later, Brenda was well enough to go home.
Statistically, a stroke as severe as Brenda’s often results in long-term disability, or even death. Without tPA and neurointervention to remove the clot, Brenda likely would not be able to share her story.
On Thursday, August 6, 2015 Brenda and Robin Mull joined a team from Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute to present Dr. Maug and Megan Livengood from the emergency department at Fitzgibbon Hospital with a Spot-A-Stroke award for their quick action and recognition of a stroke. The team also will receive commemorative pins for their name badges.
"Every minute counts when it comes to a stroke, because every second means brain cells lost," said Jay McClintick, neuroscience outreach at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute. "Thanks to the Fitzgibbon Hospital team’s quick action and recognition of stroke symptoms, Brenda ultimately received the proper care and achieved a positive outcome. Fitzgibbon Hospital is an excellent example of how regional hospitals are making a huge difference in positive stroke outcomes."
Signs and symptoms of a stroke include:
- Sudden weakness on one side of the body
- Sudden numbness on one side of the body
- Sudden loss of vision – especially in one eye
- Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding
- Sudden severe headache
Take our online Stroke Risk Assessment.
Learn more about Saint Luke's stroke care.