8 / 16
Stella
Johnson had a stroke last
September. But you’d never know it.
“I’m back, 100 percent,” says
Stella, 84, of Redding.
Her complete recovery is due in
part to a friend’s quick thinking
and the care she received from
emergency responders and Mercy
Medical Center Redding (MMCR).
Struckwithoutwarning
Stella’s remarkable journey began
at the Anderson thrift store where
she volunteers. “That morning, I
got up and was feeling great,” she
says. But around noon, suddenly
Stella could barely lift her leg. “It
was like it weighed a thousand
pounds,” she says. Within a few
minutes, her left arm also fell limp.
Fortunately, the store manager
called 911. The ambulance took her
to MMCR—designated a primary
stroke center for its ability to pro-
vide rapid treatment. The hospital
set a record that day for its swiftest
stroke care yet: Just nine minutes
after she arrived, Stella received
a CT scan and a “clot-busting”
medicine called tissue plasmino-
gen activator (TPA).
On the way to the hospital, Stella
had tried to move her left side, but
not a toe would budge. Realizing
it must be a stroke, she feared she
Timely treatment helps stroke
survivor recover fully
A remarkable recovery
Stella hopes her story will
inspire others to call 911.
8