Each year, 60,000 Australians are affected by stroke. That’s one every 10 minutes.

If untreated, stroke can result in life-long disability.

Thanks to the work of the HMRI Stroke Research Group, clot-busting stroke treatment is available to our community.

Members of the Group include neurologists, stroke nurses, allied health professionals, ambulance officers, brain imaging experts, rehabilitation specialists, and scientists at John Hunter Hospital and the University of Newcastle.

This treatment can reverse stroke damage, allowing people to return to their families, their jobs and continue to live a full and active life.

But treatment MUST be received within a few hours of stroke onset.

So please learn the signs of stroke, and if you recognise them, call ‘000’ immediately.

The signs to look for:

-          Facial weakness

o       Can the person smile?

o       Has their mouth or eye drooped?

-          Arm weakness

o       Can the person raise both arms?

-          Speech difficulty

o       Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?

-          Time to act fast

o       Call ‘000’ immediately

* FAST information provided by the National Stroke Foundation.

** Thank you to the Greater Building Society which is helping to educate our community about the signs of stroke by distributing this information.