A local stroke survivor is urging people to educate themselves about the warning signs of the disease.
Gomeroi woman Pam Smith shared her experience in a stroke education booklet developed specifically for aboriginal communities in the Narrabri region.
“I didn’t realise at the time I was having a stroke, I started dribbling and just felt a bit weak down the left side, so I went to the doctors and they told me I’d had a mild stroke,” she said.
“Thank goodness I didn’t lose permanent control of my mouth, or the side of my face, but I do still struggle a bit with memory loss and weakness in the left hand and leg.
“I thank God that mine was just a small one.”
A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing affected brain cells to become distressed and die.
While the severity of strokes varies, permanent brain damage can occur without urgent medical treatment.
One in five Australians will experience this condition at some stage in their lives, with a stroke happening in the country every 10 minutes.
Pam believes the booklet will encourage people to seek medical attention earlier, and minimise the damage.
“We might just put the symptoms down to someone being sick, but having this will wake us up to the fact that there can be something seriously wrong, and you need to get help.”
Narrabri’s aboriginal community has played a pivotal role in
developing the booklet, a version of which was first published for aboriginal communities in North Queensland.
Due to lifestyle and genetic factors Aboriginal people are more likely to suffer a stroke than the general population. Mrs Smith hopes the booklet will save lives in the community.
“People must remember that if they just think something might be wrong, they must call ‘triple 0’. Don’t wait.”
“If you feel funny, you get help straight away.”
The booklet will be distributed across the region by the end of this year.