Nassau stroke survivor’s family had no qualms about calling 9-1-1, despite pandemic

When Debbie Haynam's family members found her on the kitchen floor in their Fernandina Beach home in April, she was unable to speak.

They immediately called 9-1-1 and she was rushed to the Baptist Medical Center Nassau emergency room, where she was immediately diagnosed with a stroke and later airlifted to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville downtown for surgery.

Her family's decision to seek medical help and get her to a hospital -- regardless of the threat of COVID-19 -- saved her life.

"That wasn't even a question," said Haynam, 68, who is now well on her way to recovery.

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In April area emergency room physicians reported a "dramatic decline" during the pandemic in the number of patients arriving with non-coronavirus conditions, including strokes, heart attacks, sepsis infections and acute abdominal conditions such as appendicitis.

It's still happening, despite hospitals' expanded safety and cleaning protocols.

Baptist Health ER visit numbers are improving but are nowhere near normal, said neurologist Nima Aghaebrahim, primary stroke director, Baptist Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center, who treated Haynam.

"Some patients are afraid to come to the hospital due to concern about contracting the virus," he said. "Also because many people are spending more time at home alone, they have less interaction with family and friends who may have noticed ... symptoms and sought emergency care."

Safety measures at Baptist emergency rooms -- and at other area hospitals -- include rapid screening, separate treatment areas for potential COVID-19 patients and intensive cleaning. They are safe, Aghaebrahim said, but people who delay care, particularly those with stroke or heart attack symptoms, may not be.

"The result of delaying emergency care can be disastrous," he said. "Stroke is the number-one cause of disability and time is crucial."

Stroke, the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, is caused by a blockage in an artery or a tear in the artery's wall that produces bleeding into or around the brain, according to Baptist. In Haynam's case, there was a blockage on the left side of her brain.

"She was alert but unresponsive. She could not speak and did not appear to comprehend the questions being asked of her," said Baptist Nassau emergency physician Annette Bell. "She was unable to tell us how she was feeling or the events that led to her coming to our ER."

But she was in a certified "acute stroke-ready" hospital, where staff are trained to recognize the symptoms and signs of a stroke and provide emergency stroke care. And they had critical information from her family and the EMTs who brought her to Baptist Nassau.

Brain scans confirmed their initial diagnosis -- and revealed that she had a small, silent stroke a few days prior -- and Jacksonville-based Aghaebrahim evaluated her case via telemedicine. After Haynam was flown to Jacksonville, he performed a thrombectomy to remove a blood clot and restore blood flow and oxygen back to the brain.

About 1.9 million neurons, or brain cells, can be lost In the first minute of a stroke. Every minute untreated "can mean an extra week of recovery," he said.

"It's a race against time," he said. "Delaying care could have resulted in long-term or permanent disability ... and problems with speech and language.

"That's why calling 9-1-1 immediately is necessary if a stroke is suspected," he said.

Bell said Haynam's case was an example of how medical expertise and trust can save lives, even during a pandemic.

"I feel really proud of the care that we as a team provided to her. I am grateful for the trust she and her family placed in us," she said. "In this time of COVID-19, we ... have taken great care to ensure that the emergency and other departments in our hospital are safe and equipped to provide the excellent quality of care we strive to provide."

Haynam suffered no permanent disability and takes blood-thinning medication to prevent another stroke. She is slowly returning to her once-active lifestyle, which was interrupted by health crises even before the stroke.

First there was a breast cancer diagnosis and a planned lumpectomy. Then in March, during tests to prepare for that procedure, she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a progressive disorder that causes an irregular heartbeat, affects proper blood flow throughout the heart and made her high risk for stroke.

Then came the day she had a headache and woke up on the floor.

Her visits to Baptist Nassau and being life-flighted to Jacksonville are largely a blur. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, none of her family could make the trips with her or visit her while she was hospitalized.

Less than a month after her stroke, she's swimming, walking her dogs and doing yard work. She plans to ride her bike soon and hopes to return to the tennis court. But she cannot be alone during such strenuous activities, at least not yet, in case of another episode.

"It's a different kind of life," she said. "My husband has to be with me. I don't feel secure."

But she is grateful she escaped with no disabilities.

"It's pretty amazing," she said.

Beth Reese Cravey: (904) 359-4109

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