Emerson Goodwin's Stroke Survivor Story
Emerson Goodwin enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, but a serious stroke almost robbed him of his ability to play with them.
Emerson had recently battled head and neck cancer and moved to Northwest Arkansas with his wife to be closer to family. “We found the house and had moved in, and things were going great. The good news is that the cancer was gone. I got that news at 5:30 on October 4, and my wife was saying, ‘We need to celebrate,’” Emerson recalls. Neither knew that another health emergency was looming.
“It was about 10:30 that night,” Emerson says. “I was trying to understand why my wife was getting agitated. Her first clue that something was wrong was that she was talking to me, and I wasn't responding. I was looking straight ahead. It turns out I was having an ischemic stroke and had a total lockdown on the right side of my body. I couldn't smile, but I didn't know it. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move my right hand, my right foot or anything.”
An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the brain. If not treated quickly, a stroke can lead to permanent disability or even death. Emerson’s wife called 911 and an ambulance rushed him to the nearest hospital where he was given a special medication to help break up the clot. Doctors determined he would also need a procedure to fully remove the clot from his brain.
Emerson was transferred to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. Washington Regional’s Stroke Program is certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Washington Regional is the only hospital in Northwest Arkansas to achieve this designation, which means that Washington Regional provides the area’s highest level of stroke care and is the only hospital in the region with 24/7 in-person care from stroke experts specially trained in stroke diagnosis, care and rehabilitation.
Mark Moss, MD, an interventional neuroradiologist with the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute, performed a mechanical thrombectomy. During the minimally invasive procedure, a small tube, or catheter, is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin and is then guided into the brain and used to deliver a tiny device that removes the clot and restores blood flow to the brain.
“Almost immediately after the thrombectomy, I knew that I was better,” Emerson says. He could once again speak and move the right side of his body. Emerson recovered in the hospital’s dedicated neurosurgical intensive care unit and was able to return home just a few days after his stroke. A few months later, Emerson returned to Washington Regional to thank his care team and share a special message.
“I know that I'm here because of the grace of God and the exceptional talent at Washington Regional. I feel a burden to share my story to help people know that you need to know what's going on with your body. You need to know signs of stroke, and you need to check your blood pressure. You need to pay attention to what's happening because when your health is compromised, everything else is out the window. It’s a huge blessing from God that we in Northwest Arkansas have this resource here with Washington Regional because every minute counts when you have a stroke.”
