I AM A PEDIATRIC STROKE SURVIVOR.
AT AGE SEVENTEEN, I WAS A STRONG, ACTIVE, AND PRESUMABLY HEALTHY SENIOR AT SYCAMORE HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SUDDENLY I SUFFERED A STROKE. DURING LACROSSE TRAINING, I FELT A TINGLING SENSATION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY FACE THAT GRADUALLY SPREAD DOWN MY RIGHT ARM. AFTER AN MRI, I WAS RUSHED BY AMBULANCE TO CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WHERE NEUROLOGISTS AND NEUROSURGEONS EXPLAINED MY CRITICAL CONDITION. I HAD SUFFERED A BRAIN BLEED FROM AN INOPERABLE AVM, ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION, OR A TANGLE OF BLOOD VESSELS, CAUSED BY AN UNKNOWN GENETIC DISORDER CALLED HHT. MY CONDITION WAS LIFE THREATENING AND I WAS ADMITTED TO CCHMC, PICU UNDER THE MEDICAL CARE OF DR. SUDHAKER VADIVELU, WHERE I REMAINED FOR NEARLY A MONTH.
AFTER EMBOLIZATION PROCEDURES AND RADIOSURGERY, MY CONDITION STABILIZED, AND I WAS MOVED TO THE NEUROTRAUMA UNIT. MY ROAD TO RECOVER WAS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING, BUT WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM, I EVENTUALLY REGAINED FULL MOBILITY. DURING MONTHS OF REHABILITATION, I RECEIVED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF STRENGTH AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FROM MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, MENTOR/AVIATOR'S LAX HEAD COACH GREG COLE, AND LAX TEAMMATES/COMMUNITY. I CONTRIBUTE MY PHYSICAL STROKE RECOVERY TO DR. BRETT KISSELA AND THE EXTRAORDINARY TEAM OF PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AT UC HEALTH, DRAKE STROKE RECOVERY CENTER FOR ENCOURAGING, PUSHING, AND ULTIMATELY RETURNING ME TO A NORMAL LIFE.
TODAY, I AM A 3RD YEAR UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, COLLEGE OF NURSING STUDENT WORKING TOWARDS MY BSN. I AM ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF CINCINNATI, MEN IN NURSING AND WORK PART-TIME AS A PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT IN CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PICU. THE SAME PICU I SPENT NEARLY A MONTH FIGHTING TO LIVE. I AM EXCITED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE PICU'S AWESOME, PROFESSIONAL NURSING STAFF, WHOSE AMAZING MEDICAL CARE SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO SAVING MY LIFE THREE YEARS AGO.
THIS YEAR, CINCINNATI MEN IN NURSING AND I ARE PARTNERING TO LEAD A 2021 HEART MINI TEAM. THE MINI HEART EVENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RAISE LIVE-SAVING FUNDS FOR STROKE, HEART DISEASE, AND THIS YEAR COVID-19 RESEARCH AND TRAINING FOR FRONT-LINE WORKERS.
PERSONALLY, I ALSO HOPE BY SHARING MY STROKE SURVIVOR STORY, I SHED LIGHT ON PEDIATRIC STROKE AWARENESS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT KIDS HAVE STROKES TOO...AND EVERY STROKE REQUIRES IMMEDIATE CRITICAL MEDICAL CARE. IT IS CRUCIAL FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THE SIGNS OF STROKE AND REACT IMMEDIATELY, INCLUDING WHEN A BABY, TODDLER, CHILD, OR TEENAGER EXHIBIT STROKE SYMPTOMS.
I AM INVITING EVERYONE...FRIENDS, FAMILY, FELLOW UC STUDENTS, CO-WORKERS, MEN IN NURSING, AND AVES LAX COMMUNITIES TO JOIN OUR 2021 MINI HEART TEAM, BY REGISTERING AS A PARTICIPATE OR SPONSOR A TEAM MEMBER BY MAKING A DONATION. BY DOING SO...YOU ARE SAVING LIVES, INCLUDING MY LIFE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT TO ME AND AHA/ASA!
SINCERELY,
DAVID
#HEARTMINI #MINIMYWAY #CINCINNATIMENINNURSING #DAVIDSTRONG
