Looking Back at American Stroke Month

 

Guest Blogger: Don Weisman, Hawaii Government Relations Director

May was American Stroke Month, and while it is past, it’s never too late to become aware of stroke warning signs.

During May, Governor Neil Abercrombie and Lt. Governor Shan Tsutsui issued a proclamation recognizing May as Stroke Awareness Month, and asking Hawaii citizens to familiarize themselves with stroke risk factors, warning signs and symptoms, and to immediately call 9-1-1 when those symptoms are witnessed.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association also worked with AdWalls, The Queen’s Medical Center, the Hawaii Department of Health, and Covidian, to design, produce and place F.A.S.T. stroke warning signs on all Honolulu city buses. F.A.S.T. stands for: Face drooping; Arm weakness; Speech difficulty; and Time to call 9-1-1.

AdWalls provided the space for the ads pro-bono, while the Queen’s Medical Center and the Department of Health covered the cost of printing and installing the bus signs through a stroke awareness grant made from State Brain Trauma Special Fund dollars. The AHA/ASA designed the ad through funding from Covidian, the national sponsor of the F.A.S.T. awareness campaign.

AdWalls has agreed to continue the pro-bono ad run through June, so if you ride The Bus this month, be sure to look for the F.A.S.T. sign. Knowing the warning signs of a stroke and promptly calling 9-1-1 can greatly enhance the chances of not only surviving a stroke, but surviving with a better outcome.

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