Dad Credits Young Daughter With Helping Him Survive Stroke
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- An 11-year-old's quick thinking made all the difference when her father was suffering a stroke. It happened at the Stelly home in Aurora on Feb. 15.
DJ Stelly, 38, was up and planning to walk the family dog, Machida, but he strayed from his usual routine.
"Rather than walk the dog, I just kind of walked around the house doing random things," Stelly told CBS4 Health Specialist Kathy Walsh.
Stelly said he nearly fell down the stairs. He couldn't focus.
"I just wasn't feeling right. I felt like I was in a daze, kind of like a dream," he explained.
Stelly's daughter, Jaela, was 11 years old at the time.
"I think she initially thought that I was playing around," said Stelly.
But Jaela quickly realized her dad was struggling.
"He was really sweaty and drooling and all those things," she said. "He started talking to me, but I couldn't tell what he was saying."
Jaela called her mother who recognized stroke symptoms and rushed her husband to the nearest hospital. Stelly was given medication to dissolve a clot blocking an artery in his brain.
"Probably within the hour I was feeling brand new," he said.
Stelly was then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center.
"The faster we can reopen and restore blood flow, the more brain cells we can save," explained Dr. Ira Chang, Neurologist and Medical Director of Neurocritical Care at Swedish.
Chang showed a scan of the tissue damage in Stelly's brain.
"This is very small compared to what he could have had," she said.
Walsh asked Stelly, "How important was this little gal next to you?"
"She was everything," answered the proud dad.
"I feel like I do understand that call was helpful," said Jaela.
Stelly is thankful he is back to his routine. In a stroke, time is brain. This dad is lucky his daughter didn't hesitate.
