Spot A Stroke awards recognize quick thinking in response to a stroke and ensuring a positive outcome
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 18, 2016) Janet Andes was up early the morning of July 12, 2015 drinking coffee and reading the newspaper while her husband slept. She stood up from the table and realized something was terribly wrong. She could not move her left side. She fell to the floor.
Andes’ fall awakened her husband, who found her on the floor with a droop on the left side of her face, as well as weakness in her left side and a left gaze. When she tried to answer his questions, her speech was garbled. He called 911 and EMT Kent Youngblood along with paramedics Steve Giacone and Keith Keplinger, as well as Captain Robert Looper from Kearney Fire and EMS arrived within minutes to assess Andes.
The team recognized Andes was having a stroke. Knowing that time equals brain cells lost during a stroke, they quickly stabilized and transferred her to Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City. En route the team communicated with the Saint Luke’s stroke team so they could prepare for Andes’ arrival.
