Elizabeth-White
After suffering a stroke, quick action saved Elizabeth, who received a life-saving thrombectomy at Research Medical Center.
“From the time I discovered my wife was having a stroke [around 9:30 pm] to when she received the thrombectomy just a few hours later goes to show how critical it is for care team coordination and for all of us to spot the signs of a stroke and act fast to get help.”
On February 25, 2023, Dave White had just finished brushing his teeth and preparing for bed when he emerged from the bathroom to discover his wife was not acting normal. Elizabeth White, 65, of Leawood, KS, had grown weak on her right side and was showing signs of slurred speech and struggle to do basic things. Dave knew something was off and wasted no time in calling 911.
Elizabeth was taken by Johnson County MedAct to Menorah Medical Center where they gave TNK, a protein that can break up blood clots. She was then transported to Research Medical Center (RMC) where she had an endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) performed by Ashish Kulhari, MD, neurologist. From the time Dave called 911 to the time the EVT was performed at RMC was less than five hours.
“This procedure has evolved to become a critical method for treating stroke patients," said Dr. Kulhari. "Not even a decade ago when I was in residency was this procedure widely known or utilized. Fast intervention not only has the capability to save lives but improve outcomes and quality of life after a stroke, and Elizabeth is a remarkable example of how all members of a care team play a vital role.”
Dave credits living in a major metropolitan like Kansas City, quick action from EMS, and having access to doctors like Dr. Kulhari and the care team at RMC’s Comprehensive Stroke Center as what truly improved the outcomes for his wife, citing an article that mentioned outside of major cities access to a procedure like EVT may not always be an option.
According to a New York Times article, doctors complete about 60,000 EVTs in the United Sates per year, but the overall number of people who could benefit from an EVT is at least 120,000.
Following the procedure, Dr. Kulhari told Dave his wife, with time, would make a full recovery.
“I don’t really remember being in the hospital," said Elizabeth. "I was told I would answer the clinician’s questions incorrectly, like who the current President of the United States was, or when my birthday was. I confidently shouted April. My birthday is in March.”
She then went to in-patient rehabilitation. Since then, she has done very well.
“I feel great. I feel normal. I can walk and talk. Sometimes finding the right words is hard, but I’ve come a long way in a short amount of time because of everyone who cared for me.”
On May 25, 2023, exactly three months to the day she suffered her stroke, Elizabeth and her husband reunited with the EMS crew, Dr. Kulhari, and the rest of care team at RMC’s annual Great Save Event, which celebrates the collaborative efforts of healthcare workers and EMS crews to save lives.
“I want to say a special thank you to the ICU nursing staff,” said an emotional Dave. “You cared for us, you acknowledged us, you shared stories of your personal lives with us. You made us feel so special and cared for that there would be no other place I would have wanted us to get treated. Because of your compassion, we knew Research Medical Center was the right place to be.”
Because of Dave’s quick action, Elizabeth’s life was saved from succumbing to stroke or having long-lasting damaging effects. Anyone can act to spot the signs of a stroke in themselves or as a bystander by following the acronym BE FAST (balance loss, eyesight changes, face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911).