KYLIE LOUGH'S STORY
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When 18-year-old rower Kylier Lough visited New Zealand in July 2022, she looked like the picture of health. So, when she suddenly collapsed in her hotel room, no one suspected that it was because she had a stroke.
Kylie, originally from the United States, had travelled to Twizel for a rowing programme. But on July 26th, a snowstorm cancelled her team's practice, so she was relaxing in her hotel room.
"I was scrolling on my phone, and all of a sudden, the room just started spinning and I went black for a second," Kylie recalls. "And then when I came to, all of my limbs were losing strength."
Kylie tried to yell for help, but her speech had started to slur. She managed to crawl to the door and open it, yelling as best as she could. Luckily, her teammates were just across the hall and heard her cries for help. She was rushed to the local urgent care, where they quickly determined Kylie needed to go to the hospital.
However, a stroke was not suspected - even though Kylie was displaying classic stroke symptoms, like slurred speech and arm weakness.
To make matters worse, the snowstorm was raging on. This meant a helicopter was not an option, so Kylie's coach decided to brave the storm and drive her to the hospital. The nearest hospital was around 200km away - normally a two-hour drive. The storm had closed roads and conditions were treacherous, making this journey take twice as long. Kylie was in and out of consciousness during the drive, feeling sick and out of control.
"It was the worst thing in the world," Kylie says of the drive. "It felt like forever."
Unfortunately, things didn't improve once Kylie got to hospital. Due to her age and the fact she was there with a sports team, the assumption was that Kylie's condition wasn't urgent.
"They thought it was either pregnancy, drugs, or alcohol," she says. "I couldn't actually express what I was feeling because I couldn't really talk."
It wasn't until Kylie had an MRI that the cause of her symptoms was finally revealed - she had experienced a stroke.
Once Kylie's stroke was revealed, things quickly turned around. She started receiving physical therapy and she had an echocardiogram, which revealed the likely cause of her stroke: she had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), or hole in her heart. Most people with a PFO never have symptoms or complications. However, having a PFO can allow a blood clot to reach your brain and cause a stroke.
Kylie spent five days in hospital in New Zealand, before flying back to the United States with her mother. She dedicated herself to recovery, undertaking an intensive course of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Despite her stroke occurring only a month before she was due to start university, Kylie didn't slow down and began balancing her studies with her treatments.
Almost two years on from her stroke, Kylie has had an incredible recovery. Her right side was affected by her stroke, so she taught herself to write left-handed so she could keep up with her studies. She's rowing with her team again and physically the only reminder of her stroke is a slight tremor that occasionally affects her right hand.
Kylie doesn't blame the New Zealand hospital for not picking up on her stroke and thinks she would have had a similar experience no matter where she was, due to her age and being an athlete.
"It would happen genuinely anywhere," she says. "I've realised more and more, everyone's in the same boat. They don't immediately think of stroke. It's a lack of awareness amongst everybody."
Kylie wants to use her experience to highlight that strokes don't care how old or how fit you are.
"Stroke can strike anybody, anytime," she says.
No matter how young, fit, or healthy someone seems, it is critical to get medical attention as soon as possible if they are displaying stroke symptoms. The acronym F.A.S.T. can be used to remember signs of stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Take action - call 111.
