Be Aware: May is American Stroke Month!

Know the signs of a stroke, and be aware of the symptoms!  We want to have you around for a long time!

	Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
	Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
	Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
	Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
	Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Before my stroke, I was a ballet dancer.

 
I am a dancer and a stroke survivor. September 7, 2007 changed my life forever and has given me the gift of opportunity to change the lives of others.

The day before my first performance of the New Orleans 2007 Cultural Season, I awoke at 4.30 a.m. with a piercing headache behind my right eye. As I rose from my bed, I realized that something was terribly wrong. Hours before, I had been balancing effortlessly on the tiny tip of a pointe shoe, and now, I was unable to walk across the room without holding onto every piece of furniture on my right side. Unaware that the left side of my body was already paralyzed, I went about getting ready for my day. When I wasn't able to fully dress, my husband picked me up and rushed me to the emergency room.


In the emergency room, I learned that I had suffered a stroke. While on my way to my angiogram, I slipped into a coma. There were many challenges along the way. On my first day of physical therapy, I spent the day learning to hold my head straight, as all the muscles on the left side of my body had weakened from the stroke.

I have come a long way from the half-paralyzed girl who couldn't hold her head straight. I am a proud stroke survivor, able to accomplish things that in the beginning seemed impossible. I have performed acting and dancing roles and proudly modeled a red dress in the New Orleans Go Red for Women Fashion Show. Because of the work of the American Heart Association, through its stroke division, the American Stroke Association, I was able to receive the most advanced stroke treatments and best possible care during my hospital stay.

Please support the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association by donating today. You never know whose life it is that you will save. I would never have believed that a 29-year-old non-smoking vegetarian ballerina who works out for 4 hours each day could have a stroke. Please donate today.

Sincerely,

Sarah Abrusley

P.S. May is American Stroke Month. Learn more about stroke warning signs and symptoms.