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TOOELE — Two students were honored at their second-grade program Thursday after they ran to get help for their computer aide who had a stroke at Northlake Elementary School last month.
The boys noticed Gloria Thacker wasn’t doing well and wanted to help her, so they ran to the office. On their way, another teacher asked why they were running and they said their teacher had just fainted, according to Northlake principal Renee Milne.
The teacher went to the computer lab and stayed with Thacker until Milne got there seconds later. When she got there, she could tell Thacker had had a stroke, because the left side of her face and body wasn’t working, Milne said.
Thacker was taken to the University of Utah, and she is now doing really well, she said.
“They really feel like I’ll have a full recovery ... which apparently isn’t all that common for a stroke patient,” Thacker said. “... My physical therapy that I had at the U is amazing. They were wonderful. I think the doctors were top notch, and they just did everything just right, and I’ve had amazing care ever since.”
The computer aide credits the students for saving her life.
One of the students who helped her, Mason Johnson, said he feels very happy now that he knows he made a difference.
He said he knew it was important to go get help for Thacker when she fainted because he knows how to help people.
“I’ve never done it before, but I also always wanted to, and I heard people talking that we should help people whenever they are in need,” he said.
Before the second-grade program started, Milne brought the boys down and talked about how because of their quick thinking, everybody acted quickly, which gave Thacker more of a chance, Milne said.
“Basically what we really wanted to do, what our whole goal was to begin with, was to let the kids see that she’s OK now that school’s ending and everything,” Milne said.
Milne also recognized the EMTs who responded to Thacker’s stroke at the program and Thacker’s family gave them gifts, Milne said.
Thacker said it really did her heart good to see the students again.
“They were all excited to see me waving, and it was fun,” she said. “I think they were glad to see that I’m OK. … The last time they had seen me I was on the floor, so I think it was really good.”
She said she hopes to teach at the school again in the future.
The month of May is American Stroke Month.
According to Scott Rounds, emergency department director at Mountain West Medical Center, stroke signs and symptoms include facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech.
“Rapid stroke treatment is critical because each second that brain cells go without oxygen (in the case of blockage or ischemia) the chances of a good outcome are reduced,” Rounds told KSL.com in an email. “That is why patients presenting with the above-noted symptoms need to be taken immediately to a facility where effective interventions can be applied. Mountain West Medical Center is a Stroke Receiving Hospital where patients can receive early diagnosis and treatment by skilled clinicians working in partnership with the University of Utah Stroke Neurology team via the Telestroke Program.”
F Face drooping: Is one side of the face slack or numb? Can the person smile normally?
A Arm weakness: Are both arms functional. Does one droop downward, or is the subject unable to lift one?
S Speech difficulty: Is the subject able to speak normally, or is there a slur?
T Time to call 911: If any of the above symptoms exist, call for help immediately. Be sure to check the time at which the symptoms began appearing.
Information courtesy of strokeassociation.org
