One of the many patients thankful for the NSW Telestroke Service is Valerie from the Shoalhaven region on the South Coast.
Valerie's son noticed his mother's speech was slurred during a visit to his home. He acted fast and called an ambulance straight away.
Valerie was transported to the Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital where NSW Telestroke Service Neurologist Dr Carlos Garcia Esperon, based at John Hunter Hospital, assessed her. By then, Valerie was paralysed on her left side and couldn’t speak.
Dr Esperon prescribed Valerie the appropriate medicine and advised she be transferred to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney for a procedure to remove a blood clot.
“By the next morning, my condition had returned to normal and I was kept in the hospital for observation for another three nights,” says Valerie.
“I couldn’t be more grateful, knowing strokes can have a permanent impact on your life.”
“My family were so relieved that I received instant care,” she says. “I have told a lot of people about Telestroke and they think it is wonderful.”
“By the next morning I was back to normal, thanks to Telestroke,” says Valerie.
More information
If you are a clinician and want to find out more about the NSW Telestroke Service, visit the Agency for Clinical Innovation.