Previous campaign

World Stroke Day 2019

29th of October was the world stroke day and we celebrated it at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Ogudu-Ojota Lagos on the 26th of October which was Saturday with some of the SSO members that are the Stroke Support Organization.

The world stroke day is tagged “Don’t be the One” Our Activities carried out on that day was, Blood Pressure Check, Sugar Level texting, Health Talk,  and Business Chat. A team of Physiotherapists was on the ground to help with physical/mental exercise to keep them active and to check the Stroke Survivors one after the other.

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stroke

The Report

From the report, most of the survivors cannot afford to feed themselves not to talk of buying drugs, Medication, and Exercises. The majority of them do beg for food.

When I had my stroke, there was nothing like a Stroke Support Group, but I know that my recovery would have been easier if I had been connected with such a group. A group where I could meet other stroke survivors with similar injuries; get to know and communicate with one another, share stories, challenges and inspiration, learn about promising treatment, and new research. This obvious void gave birth to the “Michael and Francisca Foundation” which is a stroke support group and a place where stroke survivors and their relatives connect with one another.

On the 26th of May 2018, the 30th of June, the 25th of August we Stroke Survivors gathered together for the Stroke Support Group meeting and their challenges are numerous. These Stroke Support Group have their meeting on the last Saturday of every month.

It was discovered that the majority of survivors did not go to the hospital due to financial difficulties and those who did were unable to fund their Drugs, medications, and rehabilitation in the long term.

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Previous campaign

Stroke Awareness 2018

On the 4th of March 2018, we started with the “STROKE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN”. We have visited 6 Churches and the Environs, and still ongoing!!!!

Among the Catholic Churches are;

  • Sacred Heart Catholic Church Ogudu-Ojota Lagos
  • ST Lwanga Catholic Church Military Cantonment Ikeja Lagos
  • Catholic Church of Presentation Agiliti Lagos
  • ST Raphael Catholic Church Anthony Village Lagos
  • St Benjamin Catholic Church Olowora Lagos
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stroke

What is Stroke?

A stroke is a “brain attack”. It can happen to anyone at any time. It occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain such as memory and muscle control are lost.

How a person is affected by their stroke depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged. For example, someone who had a small stroke may only have minor problems such as a temporary weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be permanently paralyzed on one side of their body or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability

I was 33 years when I had my stroke in 2012. I used to drink a lot of alcohol and smoke cigarettes. I think I may have been hypertensive before the stroke occurred but I have no way of knowing since I had never checked my blood pressure before then. That is why it is very important to have yourself checked once in a while.

Important checks to prevent strokes include Blood pressure, Blood sugar, Cholesterol, and a good knowledge of your Family history.

Stroke is a serious deal! It is the second leading cause of death and disability in the world. Even after surviving a stroke, you’re not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you’ll have another.

In Nigeria, reports show that people of all ages can have a stroke. Children including the newborn are victims of stroke. This is contrary to the general belief that, it is a disease for the aging and old people.

Symptoms and Signs to look out for and which readily point to a stroke include the Four FAST Signs and Symptoms of a stroke which are:

  • Face Drooping
  • Arms Weakness
  • Speech Difficulty, at which point it is
  • Time to call

Preventing Stroke by knowing your risk

Stroke is Preventable, 90% of strokes are linked to 10 key risk factors which can be prevented as follows:

  1. Control High Blood Pressure: Hypertension is linked to almost half of all strokes.
  2. Maintain a Normal Blood Sugar: Diabetes is a major risk factor for strokes
  3. Maintain a Healthy BMI Or Waist to Hip Ratio
  4. Reduce Your Cholesterol
  5. Stop Smoking And Avoid Second-Hand Cigarette Smoking Exposure
  6. Reduce Alchohol Intake
  7. Identify And Treat Atrial Fibrillation
  8. Eat a Healthy, Balanced Diet
  9. Do Moderate Excercise 5 Times A Week
  10. Income And Education: Across and within countries, low levels of income education are linked to stroke
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