B E  F A S T

Every 40 seconds someone has a stroke. In the time that you can watch a 30 minute episode of your favorite sitcom, 45 people will have had a stroke across the United States. Of those 45 people, 15% - or around 7 people - will be under the age of 50. It’s a very common misconception that strokes only happen to old people who have preexisting health conditions, when in fact anyone of any age with any health conditions (or lack thereof) can have a stroke. Strokes are the 2nd leading cause of death in the United States, and that can largely be attributed to the fact that people don’t know how to identify the signs. 

 

Throughout my time advocating for stroke awareness, I have met dozens of stroke survivors, many of whom had no idea how to identify the signs prior to their first stroke. My step-dad, Trent, has had a total of three major strokes. Prior to his first, we had no idea how to identify the signs, but knowing BE FAST was instrumental in identifying Trent’s second and third strokes. It was my mother who recognized the signs, and advocated for him to get the proper medical treatment. I’ve built my Community Service Initiative around sharing Trent’s story and teaching people how to identify the signs, because it is so common for signs of a stroke to be misidentified. 

 

Why should you care? The answer: because you or a loved one at any age could have a stroke, and knowing BE FAST could literally save a life.