Grateful patient decides to give back

When someone experiences a stroke – time is brain. That is, with each moment that a stroke goes untreated, the brain is rapidly and irreversibly damaged.

For Melbourne couple Greg and Marina, it was the quick-thinking actions of staff at the Launceston General Hospital that prevented the worse from happening.

The pair were wrapping up an enjoyable two-week holiday in Tasmania at Easter when things took a turn.

As a thunderstorm rolled over Launceston on the morning of Good Friday, Marina woke up not feeling herself.

After noticing she was having trouble with her speech and ability to pick things up, Greg decided to take her straight to the LGH emergency department.

Marina was experiencing a stroke.

Fortunately, the quick-thinking actions of staff saved her life.

Working with the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) service, Marina was quickly recommended for thrombolysis – a specialised treatment for a type of stroke that is caused by a blockage to a blood vessel.

As LGH neurologist Matt Lee-Archer explained, it is an extremely complex decision about when to recommend thrombolysis.

“At LGH stroke specialists make decisions about stroke treatments 24/7 – which is a collaboration between our own stroke specialists and a telemedicine service called the VST,” he said. 

“Our radiology department have also been amazing and were happy to introduce advanced imaging (such as specialised CT scans) in 2020 and the stroke specialist reviews them in real-time (on site or via telehealth) to make the best decisions for patients.”

The VST service enables clinicians to collaborate virtually across organisation boundaries, regardless of their location.

The LGH is one 19 hospitals linked to the service, connecting a network of stroke consultants who can provide treatment advice about patients.

Marina went on to spend four days in the LGH Stroke Department, but was well enough to be discharged the following Wednesday – flying home to Melbourne just a week after her stroke occurred.

While it wasn’t the Easter they had planned for, she has since made an almost complete recovery – only requiring outpatient stroke therapy.

Originally from Tasmania, Greg could not speak highly enough about the care they received at the LGH.

“It was obviously a very stressful situation, but every staff member we dealt with at the LGH was so friendly and helpful,” he said.

During his time at hospital, Greg learnt about the Clifford Craig Foundation.  

In recognition of the care Marina received, he decided to make a donation in support of the Stroke Department.

“I was so grateful for everything they did for us, I wanted to show my appreciation and say thank you,” he said.