A family has issued a plea to schools after a boy aged 12 saved his grandma when she suffered a stroke.
Sam Dean was playing with his 64-year-old gran Christine at a barbecue when she hurt her knee, said her shoes were rubbing feet and went inside to change her footwear.
However, quick-thinking Sam realised there was a more serious problem and swiftly raised the alarm.
Now his mum Cheryl Dean is urging schools to teach youngsters the warning signs for a stroke. She told Stoke-on-Trent Live “Sam came to grab me and said that something was very wrong with nan.
"Sam and my mum are so close and in tune, so he must have realised straight away that it was serious.”
The family called 999 and an ambulance was sent to take Christine to hospital, where doctors diagnosed the stroke.
She is now in rehabilitation after losing the strength and mobility in her left-hand side and is already able to walk with support.
However, Sam’s quick-thinking helped prevent the damage being worse, say the family - and they are now encouraging schools to teach students how to spot the signs of a stroke.
Cheryl, 42, said: “We are so grateful that Sam noticed something bad was happening – for a 12-year-old especially.
“This has totally rocked us as a family. We know it could have been much worse. In truth, I think Sam saved her life – all because he knew to get help.”
The family's plea to schools to teach pupils the signs of a stroke is being supported by the Stroke Association.
The NHS says the main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST - an acronym for Face, Arms, Speech and Time.
- Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.
- Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you're saying to them.
- Time – it's time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
Cheryl said: “The signs of stroke need to be taught in schools. It’s terrifying to me that it isn’t. Obviously, we don’t want to scare our kids, but there are ways of explaining the signs of stroke and what to watch out for.
“In the past, I’ve always explained to Sam that stroke is like a house being on fire – the faster you put it out, the more rooms you save.
“Kids can sometimes see the things that adults can’t, just as Sam did on that day. I honestly think teaching children about stroke and what to do when they notice any of the signs, can be the difference between life and death. It really is that serious.
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