Tomorrow is May 1st which is the start of Stroke Awareness Month. Did you know that in 2008 stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 133,750 deaths? When we think about someone having a stroke, we usually picture an older person. My dad had a stroke shortly before he died at age 67 on Father’s Day last year.
James was born a little over two months after my dad passed away. We found out shortly after his birth that they think he suffered a stroke in utero (before he was born). Stacy and I were both kind of dumbfounded. Neither one of us realized that kids can have strokes, too. But they can. According to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), “pediatric stroke affects 25 in 100,000 newborns and 12 in 100,000 children under 18 years of age. Stroke is the sixth leading cause of death in children.”
Stacy posted this on Facebook today:
“I am the mommy of a STROKE SURVIVOR! Tomorrow is Childhood Stroke Awareness Day! Tell someone new that people of ALL ages can have a stroke, even the UNBORN! Incredible statistic–>1 in 4000 NEWBORNS have a stroke at birth! The more people and doctors that are aware of this, the better the outcome can be. It can happen to ANYONE! Please continue to pray for my little miracle and all the other little ones affected by strokes.”
If you would like to learn more about pediatric stroke, please visit http://www.kidshavestrokes.org/.
