Friends’ Weekly Zoom Call Turns Into Rescue Mission When Woman Starts Having Stroke.

Video conferencing has become a crucial aspect of our pandemic lifestyle. Many people rely on this technology to work, go to school, and maintain their friendship in this age of social distancing.

Every week since the start of the shut-downs, Dorothy Farris of Palos Verdes, California sits down for a ZOOM call with her four best friends.

KTLA5

The five longtime friends talk about everything going on in their lives and often reminisce about good times spent together. They were having such fun on July 30th that they stayed on the call a little bit later than usual. This minor change in schedule wound up making all the difference in the end.

“We normally end our calls at 6 o’clock on the dot. For some unknown reason – I’d like to think it was divine intervention – that we extended this call to 6:16 that night and that’s when the symptoms first appeared,” friend Pam Barclay told KTLA.

On this particular evening the ladies were sharing stories of how they met their spouses, but when it was Dorothy’s turn to share she didn’t say a word. Not only that, but her friends noticed she’d started to slur her speech and was slumping over in her chair. The women recognized the symptoms of a stroke and launched into action, each knowing right away what part to play in the rescue.

KTLA5

“Intuitively, everybody just knew what role to take, to call 911, to call her husband, to stay on the Zoom with her,”said friend Miki Jordan Emenhiser.

Paramedics arrived quickly and had to scale a gate outside her home to get inside, but since the friends clued them in that it may be a stroke they knew time was of the essence. Seconds matter during a stroke, and the longer the brain is deprived of oxygen the more body systems begin shutting down.

Dorothy was rushed to the hospital where she had surgery to remove a blood clot. Thanks to her friends’ quick actions she suffered no major damage and has no long-term side effects!

“I refer to myself as the miracle child,”Dorothy said. “It took four splendid friends to save my life and I don’t know how you thank people who do that.â€

KTLA5

Dorothy’s story reminds us of how important it is to stay connected to our friends and family during these strange, isolating times. It’s also important to be able to recognize the signs of stroke:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Pixabay

If you see signs of a stroke, call 911 immediately. Thank goodness these friends were there at just the right time to save Dorothy’s life! It certainly seems like they were heaven-sent.

Please share this story — it could save a life.

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