Sharon and Amelia Kenney – Educating Vermont and DC About Stroke!

Vermonters and Capitol Hill know more about stroke thanks to Sharon and Amelia Kenney.

This dynamic stroke duo is working in Vermont to educate about stroke warning signs and the need to act quickly. They also traveled to DC in June for the American Heart Association’s DC Lobby Day to meet with our congressional delegation about stroke telemedicine, funding and research and other priority issues.

Sharon is the Stroke Program Coordinator at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She has helped with advocacy efforts to improve and establish stroke systems of care in Vermont. She educates Vermont hospitals about stroke warning signs and knows that access to FAST quality care is essential for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment.

It’s a message that has resonated with her granddaughter Amelia. Amelia’s 8^th grade challenge project is teaching school-aged children about stroke identification, or FAST:

F – Face drooping
A – Arm Weakness
S – Speech Difficulty
T – Time to call 911

Let’s hope the congressional delegation learns FAST!