Brain stroke, children learn to ask for help through play (saving the lives of grandparents and family members) – breaking latest news

“superheroes” children able to save the lives of grandparents (or family members) if they suffered a stroke. As? Learning from an early age, through the game, to recognize the main symptoms of stroke e promptly calling for help. This is the objective of the international educational campaign «FAST Heroes», relaunched in Italy by ALICe Italia odv – Association for the Fight against Cerebral Stroke and presented to the Ministry of Health on the occasion of the month (April) dedicated to the prevention of this neurological disease which affects around 150,000 compatriots in our country every year. The initiative, which is divided into three different training plans and is aimed at children, families and teachers, is based on the special bond that binds grandparents and grandchildren.

“Superhero” grandchildren

To the «FAST Heroes» project, conceived by the Department of Education and Social Policy of the University of Macedonia, supported by World Stroke Organization and made possible thanks to the support of Angels Initiative around 6,000 schools, more than 11,000 classes, over 250,000 pupils and more than 16,000 teachers have joined internationally.
The protagonist of the campaign is little Matteo, who turns into a «FAST» hero (English acronym that stands for Face i.e. “face”, Arms: “arm”; Speech:
“language”, Time:
«time»): having learned to recognize the symptoms of stroke, he immediately asks for help, saving his grandfather’s life Franco
who momentarily lost the ability to move one side of her face.
«Lhe average age of people affected by stroke is 70 years old – recalls Dr. Nicoletta Reale, past president of ALICe Italia -. The strong point of the project is precisely the ability to teach children the main symptoms of stroke at the same time, the number to call if you have a stroke. The whole through the tales of FAST heroeseach grappling with the “malefic thrombus” and with a specific symptom that affects his special abilities”.

«FAST»: attention to face, arms, language, tempo

“The acronym FASTwhich in English means fastunderlines the importance of the time factor and helps us to remember i main symptoms stroke» says Professor Danilo Toni, director of the “Neurovascular Treatment” Unit of the Umberto I General Hospital in Rome.
Here’s what to do:
• F come face (face): be a person manifest facial symptoms (the most common is the crooked mouth) ask her to smile to check for any facial paresis;
• A come arms (arm): ask to try to lift both armsnot underestimating if even just one arm can’t stay up;
• S come speech (language): ask to repeat or elaborate a simple sentence (in the case of a stroke, it is very difficult to do this);
• T as time (ie tempo) but also how telephone: if the person experiences any of these symptoms, call for help (118 o 112) i
l as fast as possible.

How to join the initiative

The project aims to involve primary school children, families and teachers. On the dedicated portal
to the project
Fast Heroes

it is possible to register your own children but teachers and schools (or individual classes) can also join. Once registered, you will find all the teaching materials in the private area and you can join the community. THE materials proposed are suitable for the age of primary school children: with the various scheduled activities, distributed over five weeks, children are taught how to recognize three of the most common symptoms of stroke and especially, to call for help immediately i.e. 118 (or 112 where active).

Information for the whole family

Observes the president of ALICe Italia Andrea Vianello, who suffered a stroke in 2019: «We are certain that the incredible enthusiasm of children, their desire and ease of learning and sharing at home can encourage the subsequent dissemination of the message to the rest of the family, especially to grandparents with whom they usually spend a lot of time. Anyone who presents even just one symptom should be taken as quickly as possible to hospitals equipped with centers organized for the treatment of this disease, i.e. the Neurovascular Units (Ictus Centers or Stroke Units). Only in this way – underlines Vianello – can we think of reducing the risk of mortality, avoiding particularly serious strokes, trying to limit future damages and, in particular, the consequences of disabilities that are very often disabling for the affected person and dramatic for his family “.

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