Mum reunited with ambulance crew after devastating stroke

A mum-of-two who was told she may never walk again after a stroke has been reunited with the London Ambulance Service crew that saved her life.

Jess Shah, 45, had always been fit and healthy when she collapsed at home last August.

She had a massive stroke that left her unable to speak and her right arm and leg paralysed.

Paramedic Grace Taylor and Emergency Medical Technician William Barry responded to the 999 call and rushed her to a specialist stroke unit, where she briefly went into cardiac arrest.

But despite the devastating impact of the stroke and the gruelling recovery, Jess has longed to meet Grace and William again so she could thank them in person for caring for her.

Jess, who has now recovered her speech but only recently started walking again, met the ambulance crew, who she describes as ‘angels’, at their station in Edmonton.

She said: “They were so kind to me and brilliant in every way – looking after me and my daughter – I am so grateful I just wanted to be able to meet them and say thank you in person.”

Jess had been doing the hoovering when she collapsed.

Her 13-year-old daughter Atia had been in the shower but heard a commotion and rushed downstairs to find her mum on the floor.

Atia dialled 999 and the call handler stayed on the line until Grace and William arrived at the family’s home in Tottenham.

The crew did the Face Arm Speech Time (FAST) Test to confirm the three most common signs of stroke.

They also checked her blood pressure and blood sugar to rule out any other possible cause for her symptoms.

They then made a video call to a hospital stroke consultant to confirm she needed to be taken to the stroke unit at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (part of University College London Hospitals) for further treatment.

Paramedic Grace said: “With stroke patients, the key thing is to make sure you are quick. We assessed her and then took her on blue lights to the specialist unit.

“Because we had the video assessment already, the team at the National Hospital were ready and waiting for us.”

A stroke happens when the brain doesn’t get the blood and oxygen it needs – often because of a clot.

Every second counts because speedy treatment to remove clots can minimise long term effects.

Jess spent four months recovering in hospital and doctors are still investigating why the stroke happened – a rare event for someone of her age and medical history.

She said: “Being able to meet Grace and William is such a huge boost during my ongoing recovery. Even though I was going in and out of consciousness, I just remember that they did everything so well and were so kind.”

Daughter Atia said: “They explained everything throughout so I knew what was going on. It was very frightening though. I didn’t know if mum would ever be able to talk again.”

Jess’s husband had just flown to Germany on a business trip while their younger daughter was staying with her parents in Shropshire.

Fortunately friends rallied round to take care of Atia until her dad and grandparents arrived.

Jess, Atia and Jess’s parents visited Edmonton Ambulance Station for the reunion.

William said: “It’s lovely to see Jessica and her family and the recovery she has made. We don’t often get to see patients once we have left them at hospital.

“This is a very rewarding job and we do it so we can help people, we don’t do it for the thanks. But for Jess and her family to come and see us and say thank you in this way, it really does mean so much.”

London Ambulance Service responds to more than 12,000 suspected stroke patients a year and our latest audit found that 99.6 per cent of those were taken to the best treatment centre in line with current guidelines.

Of those patients, the average age for a woman to have a stroke is 72 years old.

If you think someone is having a stroke, call 999 immediately. You can find out more about the signs of a stroke here.