Young boy honored at Stroke Symposium
Posted By: Camila Orti
A 4-year-old Lincoln boy received an award Friday for helping to detect his grandfather’s stroke.
The Nebraska Stroke Symposium started a new tradition this year called the Brain Saver Award, which is given to people who recognize the signs of a stroke. They’ll have a hard time finding anybody younger than their inaugural recipient.
Jackson Eberle is still in preschool, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a hero. Jackson was presented with the Brain Saver Award at the annual Stroke Symposium for alerting his family that grandpa Tyler Sprouse was having a stroke.
“Sometimes he gets a little sick,” Jackson said.
The episode happened back in February.
“I knew something was wrong and I knew I couldn’t speak or spit out the words,” Sprouse said.
Sprouse says he was sitting in the living room with Jackson when something like a shock wave came over him.
“I had sat down in the chair and I obviously couldn’t speak and that’s when Jack came over and was asking me grandpa what’s wrong, what’s wrong,” Sprouse remembers.
Sprouse’s wife Bev says that’s what caught her attention.
“I thought something was strange that he would even say that so I came into the living room and that’s where I found Tyler,” Bev said.
Bev says she immediately knew her husband was having a stroke, and took him to the Emergency Room. The 55-year-old was treated and made a full recovery.
“I think his is just a perfect example they acted very, very quickly,” Stroke Program Coordinator Beth Malina said, “In Nebraska about 75 percent of our patients that have strokes don’t get to the hospital in enough time.”
The family credits Jackson for their quick response.
“I think that even a minute saving time, helped,” Sprouse said.
Malina says there are around 36,000 stroke survivors in Nebraska. The acronym “FAST” is used to help people recognize signs of stroke. It stands for facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time- because every second counts.
