18-yr-old started feeling ‘lightheaded’ at work—after a frightening observation, her coworkers quickly dialed 911
One shouldn’t brush off any symptoms or unusual signs, no matter how trivial they might seem. Our bodies have a way of communicating beforehand and taking note of these signs can be life-saving. An 18-year-old girl named Lexi Eddy was at work after school when she started to feel sick and dizzy, FOX 8 reported. The teenager brushed it off initially and thought she was probably exhausted. When things started to get worse, she could no longer stay conscious and started behaving unusually. When her coworkers noticed, they jumped into action to save her in time.
Lexi noted that she was usually a healthy and athletic teen. However, that day at work, she started to feel like she’d lost strength on one side. “A big woof of just lightheadedness rushed right over me and immediately I felt numb on my left side,” she recalled. Despite the suspicious feeling, the girl ignored the sign. She tried to get some water and noticed that the water, too, was just coming out of her mouth. It was right then that she collapsed. Fellow employees at work noticed the teenager and immediately jumped in to help. They had no idea what was wrong initially and so they lifted her and put her into a chair, USA Today reported.
Still trying to come to, Lexi snapchatted on her phone and that’s when a friend made an observation. “They were like, ‘Lexi, you look like you’re having a stroke, why does your face look like that?’” the 18-year-old recalled. Before anything could be said or done, the teenager collapsed again. It became pretty clear that something was seriously wrong. Her coworkers immediately dialed 911. She was taken to a local hospital in Portage County, Ohio. When it was learned that the girl could be having a stroke, she was moved to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital.
It was confirmed that the girl was having a stroke and because she arrived in time, it was possible to give her quick medication and treatment. Lexi’s parents, Melissa and Brian, were terrified to learn of the news but knowing that she was already in the care of the medical staff brought some relief. Dr. Yousef Mohammad, a Cleveland Clinic Neurologist who specializes in strokes, noted that it was caused by a hole in Lexi’s heart. Because she arrived soon after the attack, they were able to give her a quick-acting treatment over a complicated one. “This medication breaks down the blood clot and restores blood flow to the brain. It must be given only within 4.5 hours from the start of the symptoms,” he explained.
After receiving the medication, the girl was back to normal. Above all, she was relieved she could feel again. The doctor noted that she was okay but would require surgery to close the hole. The grateful parents are now hoping people will be observant and mindful of such subtle signs and symptoms and take action before it's too late. “The doctor said that 25% of people were born with what Lexi has going on with her heart. I would say if there’s an issue, or a doctor said it’s not a big deal, just take a second look at it because she’s only 18, she had a stroke,” the dad noted. “Like a lot of people don’t expect it but it can happen and when you see the symptoms, I bet you have to react fast,” Lexy added.