Every nine minutes one Australian suffers a stroke — watch for the symptoms
SEFTON’S Luke Webb was only 20 when he had a stroke and now he wants everyone to be aware of the symptoms.
The Express
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SEFTON’S Luke Webb was only 20 when he had a stroke and now he wants everyone to be aware of the symptoms.
In 2017, more than 56,000 Australians had a stroke — one for every nine minutes, a frightening statistic.
“You can never be too young or too old, it does not discriminate, it’s definitely not an old person’s disease,” Mr Webb said.
Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers, killing more women than breast cancer, more men than prostate cancer and leaving thousands with an ongoing disability.
And yet more than 80 per cent of strokes can be prevented which is the aim of National Stroke Week held from September 3-9.
Some of the signs include facial weakness, arm weakness and difficulty with speech.
“I first met Luke when he cycled 108km from the Big Merino in Goulburn to the steps of Parliament House in Canberra to give me a petition, signed by 11,000 people, as part of the National Stroke Foundation’s Fight Stroke campaign in 2014,” Blaxland federal Labor MP Jason Clare said.
“Paramedics, nurses and doctors can only help if people recognise the signs of stroke.”
Each year as part of National Stroke week, the Stroke Foundation, community groups, hospitals, workplaces and individuals take part. Activities include health checks, information stalls, morning teas, talks from stroke survivors, personal or team challenges and fundraising.