NJ stroke survivor recalls 'miracle' thanks to healthcare heroes
LOWER TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- "Last year, something happened. I didn't know about it," said Ed Martini. "I was just waking up in the morning to get up, my usual grogginess, and that's the last I remember."
Martini, now 76 years old, had suffered a stroke.
His wife, Eileen, knew the signs from her experience as a nurse. Her quick action in calling 911 made the subsequent "miracle" by healthcare heroes like Tracy Cain possible.
"We got to him and he was not responding and we knew right then that we had to move quick," said Cain, a paramedic with AtlantiCare. "We called for a helicopter and we took him outside into the ambulance and to a landing zone for the helicopter."
Cain realized that Martini's current condition was not conducive to a local hospital in Lower Township. She had him flown to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus, which is a comprehensive stroke center.
It takes a village to make sure a patient receives proper care. It includes the immediate bystanders, 911 dispatchers, first responders, neurointensivists, nurses, doctors, surgeons, and everyone in between.
When Martini arrived, he was in a coma and considered to be in critical condition.
"Mr. Martini had occlusions in three out of the four main arteries that go to his brain," said neurosurgeon Maureen Darwal. "And he had one remaining artery left and that was his left vertebral artery."
Darwal and her team used a microwire to guide a microcatheter into the brain. They were able to remove the clot in less than 20 minutes.
Martini was quick to recover, as family noticed he was back to his fun-loving self that same day. He was also eager to get back on his bicycle within the week he returned home.
Today, Ed Martini and his wife are celebrating one year of health and happiness since the stroke.
"I'm eternally grateful to them," he said. "I don't know who would be pesting my wife right now if it wasn't for them."
When dealing with a stroke victim, it's important to B.E. F.A.S.T.: to recognize a loss of Balance or Eyesight, Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and knowing it's Time to call 9-1-1.
To learn more about AtlantiCare, visit their website.
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