Local hospital volunteer helps save his sister-in-laws life after she showed symptoms of a stroke

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — A stroke can happen to anyone at anytime, but how quickly you react can make all the difference.

In late March, Kathi Heslin was having a meal with her brother-in-law Bob Young and his wife, when suddenly everything changed.

“The room went like this, up 90 degrees. I heard him saying he was calling 911,” Heslin said.

Young, who is a volunteer at Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center started to notice something was wrong. Heslin was having a stroke. She was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery.

“Her husband asked her, he says ‘you’re slowing your talk, are you feeling okay? And she said ‘I’m dizzy’ and when dizzy came out, I was up out of my chair. I went through the stages of BE FAST and she filled in two of the blanks pretty quickly,” Young said.

B.E.F.A.S.T is an acronym for memorizing the symptoms of someone potentially having a stroke.

Balance, Eyesight, Face, Drooping, Arm, Speech and Time.

Heslin made it to the hospital very quickly, which according to Novant Health Neurosurgeon Justin Cappuzzo, is very important.

“So, we were able to go up and get her blood flow restored in about 7 minutes from the time we started the puncture, till when the blood flow was restored, so pretty quickly,” said Cappuzzo

Heslin said thanks to her brother-in-laws quick reaction, she has been given a second chance.

“I am blessed, I’m blessed beyond measure and I would not expect any other reaction from him,” Heslin said.

Since her surgery, Heslin has shown zero signs of ever having a stroke.