October is International Stroke Awareness month, and the Stroke Survivors Foundation are launching a pilot awareness campaign designed to destigmatise and demystify stroke in South Africa.
Many people believe that strokes only happen to a certain type of person; much older, less healthy, and mostly men, but this is not the case, and students from KES are doing their part in raising awareness around stroke, and educating their peers about what to do if anyone around them is having a stroke.
Not only has KES shown solidarity in supporting the Stroke Survivors Foundation, but there is a special group of boys who went the extra mile in creating a series of videos for Stroke Survivors Foundation; highlighting what it means to be a stroke survivor and how one can save a life of someone having a stroke.
The videos also include individuals trying to perform their daily routines with one hand; making a tie, tying a shoelace, all of which seemed nearly impossible to do, highlighting the devastation of what a stroke can do.
The boys started this initiative after they quickly realised that stroke does not discriminate against age, race or gender and that it can happen to anyone.
“A few months ago, we went to KES where we met some students who were in the process of putting together a video for the Stroke Survivors Foundation. This was after a student suffered a stroke on the rugby field a few years before.”
The student’s goal is to equip the public with information on strokes and to debunk some of the myths that come with stroke.
“There are people in South Africa who still believe that one is bewitched if they have suffered a stroke. That the survivor is not the same person as before and has been possessed. If this is the perception, imagine the actions against the victim. This is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed, in 2017.”
Time is of the essence when someone is suffering a stroke.
The Glove Initiative started when George Scola, of the Stroke Survivors Foundation, felt that there was not enough adequate support to those who had suffered a stroke. Only once George had suffered a stroke did he realise that South Africa, and the world, were behind on their knowledge of brain injuries and just how often they occur.
By wearing a turquoise glove on your dominant hand, it will remind supporters not to use that hand for an hour, and briefly ‘experience’ the frustration of losing one side of your body function.
International Stroke Awareness Day, 29 October, falls on a Sunday, so come Monday, the students at KES will be wearing their turquoise glove in support of raising awareness of stroke in South Africa.
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Of these, 25% are fatal, 25% recover fully and 50% remain disabled.
The key to surviving a stroke is immediate medical attention. Time is one of the most crucial points in the BE FAST acronym.
By sharing relevant information with the public and educating people on the tell-tale signs of a brain attack, we can learn to respond rapidly and possibly save a life.
Well done to the students at KES for taking it upon themselves to spread awareness!
KNOW THE SIGNS OF A STROKE: BE FAST
The Turquoise Glove Initiative (TGI) campaign is run by the Stroke Survivors Foundation (SSF) with backing from King Edward School (KES), Adams & Adams Attorneys (IP Live Team) and Alexandra Clinic.
Recently, the huddleUP team got involved with Stoke Survivors Foundation by creating an awareness and promotional video for The Glove Initiative.
The video was sponsored by Adams & Adams Intellectual Property Law Firm, who also helped The Stroke Survivors Foundation with protecting their Intellectual Property of using the turquoise glove as a symbol of solidarity and support when raising awareness.
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