Father-of-three Dalibor Hercog knew the signs of stroke, but never imagined that information would help him save the life of his 16-year-old son, Martin.
The high school student collapsed at home days before Christmas last year.
He found himself unable to move or speak.
Recognising the symptoms of stroke, his father helped set in motion a chain of rapid medical interventions that would enable his son to walk and talk again.
This week, Martin and his parents returned to Monash Children’s Hospital to meet and thank some of the many clinicians that treated and cared for the teen.
9News captured the visit and interviewed Associate Professor Ronil Chandra, Head of Neurointerventional Radiology at Monash Health.
“Most people think that only old people have strokes. But the truth is stroke can attack at any age. You could be a teenager; you could be a young mother in your 30s; or you could be an older retiree,” said A/Prof Chandra.
He encouraged people to learn the signs of stroke, including:
- facial weakness
- arms not working
- trouble walking
- difficulty speaking
The story shared the message that acting fast when you suspect a person has had a stroke can prevent death and disability.