Helen Woodhouse was only 33, and an avid runner, when she suffered a stroke.
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At one time, the Wagga real estate agent feared she would never run again.
Now 34, the stroke survivor is in training for the 21-kilometre Gold Coast Marathon in June, less than a year after the stroke turned her life upside down.
Ms Woodhouse was on the Old Narandera Road on her regular morning run at the time she suffered her stroke.
“I was in training for my first half marathon and I was the fittest and healthiest I had ever been, but somehow I took a wrong turn and veered off course,’’ she said.
“I couldn’t think straight and called my husband Ben.
“I was slurring my words. Ben couldn’t understand what I was saying. He immediately picked me up and convinced me to go to hospital.”
Doctors quickly diagnosed Ms Woodhouse’s stroke and she was given clot-busting thrombolysis treatment, which stopped the stroke.
“This treatment gave me the best chance of survival and prevented potential paralysis on the affected left side of my body and possible brain damage,” she said.
“I realise how lucky I am to have survived the stroke with no physical impact.
“It opened my eyes to be present in the moment. Life is a gift.”
It is estimated there will be more than 56,000 strokes in Australia in 2018, including more than 400 in the Riverina electorate area.
Stroke kills more women than breast cancer, more men than prostate cancer and leaves thousands of people with an ongoing disability, the Stroke Foundation has reported.
Ms Woodhouse admits her confidence took a huge blow after her stroke and there were many tears.
“It was a traumatic experience and it took me a long time to feel like myself again,” she said.
Ms Woodhouse has set a goal to take part in the Gold Coast Marathon and she is hoping to raise $5,000 for the Stroke Foundation.
They have already raised more than $4400 of that goal amount. To donate to Ms Woodhouse’s fundraising effort, visit their page.
The foundation’s NSW state manager Teresa Howarth said about 30 per cent of stroke survivors were people of working age, like Ms Woodhouse.
“Helen’s story highlights with the right treatment at the right time many people are able to recovery for stroke,” Ms Howarth said.
“Stroke is a time-critical medical emergency. Each minute up to 1.9 million brain cells die. The faster treatment is sought, the better the chance of recovery.
“This is why Stroke Foundation is aiming for someone in every Australian household to be able to recognise the most common signs of stroke via the FAST test.”
The FAST test involves four simple actions:
Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms – Can they lift both arms?
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time – Time is critical.
If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.