Stroke Month Activities, Awareness Aimed At Connecticut’s Number Three Killer

WALLINGFORD — In the amount of time it takes to perform a simple morning task such as brushing your teeth or buttoning your shirt, at least one person in the United States will have experienced a stroke.

Stroke is Connecticut’s number three killer and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. During the month of May, American Stroke Month, the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, will offer StrokeAlert!, a free stroke awareness, risk assessment and screening program taking place throughout Connecticut. The American Stroke Association is collaborating with various health organizations to provide stroke risk assessments throughout the state.

Women account for 61 percent of deaths due to stroke annually. Each year about 60,000 more women than men have a stroke and at all ages stroke kills more women than men.

At particularly high risk for stroke are: stroke survivors; African Americans and blacks; women; adults age 55 and older; Hispanics; and survivors of a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or heart surgery. Blacks and African Americans have almost twice the risk of a first-ever stroke compared with whites.

The American Stroke Association hopes to combat stroke’s staggering toll on US blacks — more than 100,000 suffer a stroke each year — with its Power To End Stroke campaign that includes various initiatives to educate and empower African Americans to reduce their risks and improve their health. The American Stroke Association’s StrokeAlert! is an official Go Red For Women and Power To End Stroke activity.

The American Stroke Association emphasizes that the public know stroke is a medical emergency. Know the warning signs and don’t delay is you see them in yourself or someone else. Call 911 immediately!

The warning signs of stroke are:

*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.

The American Stroke Association’s StrokeAlert! risk assessments are free and will educate the public about stroke, its warning signs and risk factors, and preventative steps to minimize a person’s risk of stroke. Family history is reviewed, personal risk factors are discussed, and the patient receives a variety of assessments, including blood pressure, pulse check, and others.

Attend a free American Stroke Association StrokeAlert! stroke screening throughout Connecticut during May. For reservations or to find a free stroke screening location near you, call the American Stroke Association at 888-4-STROKE (888-478-7653).

For other information on stroke and more information about the Power To End Stroke campaign, visit online at www.StrokeAssociation.org.

St Vincent’s Stroke Survivors

In related news, “Preventing Another Stroke” is the program for the next meeting of the St Vincent’s Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group on Wednesday, May 20, from 5:30 to 7 pm in the Seton Room on Level “C” of the Medical Center.

Featured speaker will be Anne Florian, RN, a stroke certified nurse at St Vincent’s Medical Center and a unit manager at West River Health Care Center, who will discuss what individuals who have experienced one or more strokes can do to prevent future strokes. Ms Florian graduated from St Vincent’s College in 2005.

The Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group addresses the concerns and needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers. It also provides an opportunity for participants to interact with others for emotional support as well as to share strategies and techniques to improve their quality of life.

Speech, occupational, and physical therapists as well as neurologists and social workers are also available to provide information and links to services in the community. The group is sponsored by St Vincent’s Department of Social Work and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

There is no charge for attendance at the group. Parking is free with validated ticket. For more information, call 203-576-5361.

Strike Out Stroke

Hundreds of supporters are expected to attend “Strike Out Stroke,” a Memorial Day weekend softball tournament aimed at increasing awareness about stroke and raising funds to support the John Semenetz, Sr Memorial Fund at Danbury Hospital.

Thirty-two softball teams will take part in the three-day tournament at Rogers Park in Danbury on Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24. On Saturday, clinicians from Danbury Hospital’s nationally accredited Primary Stroke Center will conduct stroke risk assessments.

Neil Culligan, MD, medical director of Danbury Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center, will throw out the first pitch on Friday at 5 pm. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton is expected to attend, as well. Twelve co-ed teams and 20 men’s team are participating in the event.

All proceeds will benefit the John Semenetz, Sr Memorial Fund at Danbury Hospital, which was established by friends to promote stroke awareness and education, said Lori Mikell, an event organizer. Mr Semenetz — the fiancé of Mikell’s mother-in-law — died from complications associated with a stroke.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the tournament or making a monetary contribution to the John Semenetz, Sr Memorial Fund at Danbury Hospital can contact Ms Mikell at 203-482-6919 or strikeoutstroke@aol.com.