5-Year-Old FaceTimed Her Dad When Mom Had a Stroke in the Background, Causing People to Rehash the Debate About American Healthcare

We are all well aware that modern smartphones and tablets can be detrimental to kids. Sometimes, however, they can be beneficial. This is not a commercial from one of the tech giants, but a real-life story. Although, don’t be surprised if they use it somehow.

Five-year-old Priya Galvin saw her mom, Mary, collapsing from a severe stroke, and the first thing that came to her mind was to call her dad. She took the family iPad and called him via FaceTime, informing him that Mom wasn’t feeling well. Mary was quickly taken to Cork University Hospital in Ireland, where a thrombectomy was performed, saving her life. Now, Mary is well and back home with her family.

When Liam Healy, a consultant geriatrician at CUH and the clinical lead for stroke services, shared this story on Twitter, people praised the excellent job the doctors did and commended brave little Priya. Then the praise turned to relief because this incident occurred in Ireland, not in the United States, where this family would have faced difficulties covering the medical expenses. drliamhealy

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Dr. Healy states that CUH is “the busiest inpatient stroke service in Ireland.” He also noted that this was one of only two clinics in the entire country capable of performing procedures like thrombectomies. A thrombectomy is a complex procedure that requires a specialist team to remove the clot.

“We work closely with different services within the hospital to determine why someone has had a stroke, how we can minimize the damage caused by the stroke, and how we can initiate a patient’s rehabilitation,” he said.

There are several key signs that you might be having a stroke. One of them is sudden numbness or weakness in the face or extremities, especially on one side of the body. Another sign is unexpected disorientation, trouble speaking, or difficulty recognizing speech. If you have trouble walking, feel wobbly, unexpectedly lose your balance, or lack coordination, these can be signs of a progressing stroke. The definitive indicator of a stroke is an extremely strong headache with no known cause.

One study involving 97,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. showed that the cost of hospitalization for stroke patients varies depending on the type of stroke. The researchers discovered that, on average, hemorrhagic strokes cost $16,331, ischemic strokes cost $62,637, while other types of strokes cost $48,208. 

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