Sean Sornborger, California
Before my stroke, I was on top of the world. I had a wonderful job in fashion merchandising, owned a beach property in San Diego, lived in a beautiful apartment in New York and have accomplished a lot at a young age.
Three years ago, when I was 32, my life came to a screeching halt after I suffered a massive stroke. I was alone in my apartment and it wasn’t until three days later that a friend found me lying on the floor, paralyzed and unable to speak.
I spent two months in the hospital and continue to undergo speech and physical therapy. Last December, I was proud to get my driver license back and regain my mobility and independence.
If there’s anything I’d like people to learn from my story, it’s to listen to your body and learn the warning signs of a stroke. I had sudden, severe headaches for three days before I collapsed at home but I did not think to go to the doctor because I didn’t know this could be a symptom of stroke.
The American Heart Association's F.A.S.T. campaign aims to communicate the importance of recognizing what sometimes could be subtle signs of a stroke. F.A.S.T. stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call 9-1-1. To learn more about the F.A.S.T. stroke warning signs and other sudden symptoms of a stroke, visit www.strokeassociation.org.
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