HOPE AND HELP MAKE A HEALTHY HEART
When Nicole Fournier grows up, she wants to be a doctor who helps children who have had a stroke. "I want to make them better and improve the way they live."
That's because when Nicole was 8 years old, she had a stroke. "It was Canada Day and I was swimming in my cousin's pool when I noticed my eyes were blurry - I just thought it was water in my eyes. Then my right arm and leg started to feel weird. I simply stopped swimming and was floating on my right side. My Dad saw what was happening and called to me and when I did not respond he called to my cousin George to drag me to the side where my Dad pulled me out of the water. I was completely incoherent and paralyzed on my right side. My uncle immediately called 9-1-1."
The emergency medical response team quickly identified that Nicole was having a stroke. At the hospital she was diagnosed with an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Nicole received tPA, a clot busting drug - one of the first children in North America to do so because at that time it was still experimental in children.
Over the next month, she improved very slowly, recovering some use of her leg and speaking a few words. At a rehabilitation hospital, she underwent intense physiotherapy and improved steadily over the next 12 months. Now, five years later, the 13-year-old is able to almost walk normally and talk, but her right hand and arm still do not work properly. But that doesn't keep her from swimming or refereeing kids' soccer games. "I know how to do the front and back crawl and other strokes. I want to get my Red Cross certification once I pass all the levels."
Nicole continues to visit her specialists for a special check-up once a year. She also tells her story at schools. "My friends and I think it's a great idea to raise awareness of childhood stroke." And as for her future, she continues to be inspired by all the doctors and nurses who have helped her all these years. "I've seen great people doing what they love. I want to be a part of that."
Nicole, who loves literature, wrote a poem about her experience.
Life goes on
The day began and all was fine
What was about to happen, I showed no sign
I am now limited, but have no pain
Help me understand, please explain
Why kids have to endure such strain.
Doctor's sessions and hospital cots,
I may not regain all that I lost.
I undergo endless shots
But I know I will do it at any cost
Tell me I can't, I may fail
But I always strive to prevail
Something I thought I could never do
Like riding a bike or tying a shoe
The day ended with worry sorrow depression too
We all have stages we must go through
I may not exist as once I did
But I am here, let me live
Meet Evin – A Real-Life Heart Hero
Evin was just 3 years old when he complained about feeling pins and needles in his leg and a headache. By morning, his legs gave out, he was slurring and drooling, and couldn’t feed himself breakfast.
His mom took him to the hospital where a CAT scan (a 3D X-ray) and an MRI (a machine that uses magnets and radio waves to look inside the human body) told the doctors that he had had a stroke that affected his brain.
Evin was in the hospital for 10 days and had to go through a year of therapy because the stroke weakened his left arm and leg, and his brain couldn’t process information so he couldn’t get his words out as quickly as before.
“He’s 100% better since the stroke. And he’s been given a clean bill of health,” says his mom.
Today, at first glance, you wouldn’t know that Evin had suffered a stroke at all. He is a big fan of football so you can find him running down the field with his friends on most nice days.
His mom says, “I’m just thankful for the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s research because when my son runs and plays I can see how minimal the effects of the stroke were.”
