A Murray Bridge woman who was forced to put her life on hold after a devastating stroke has used her passion for sport to drive her recovery.
Cheyanne Richter was just 23 at the time of her stroke. A busy working mum, Cheyanne was juggling motherhood with her two other passions, calisthenics and speedway driving when her stroke struck.
"I was putting my daughter to bed, as I stood up, I took a few steps and everything went blurry, next thing I knew, I collapsed," she said.
"When I came to, I was on the floor, I assumed it was from dehydration or exhaustion, the last thing I thought of was stroke.
"It's scary because it came out of nowhere, one minute life was normal, the next, everything changed."
At hospital, an MRI confirmed Cheyanne had experienced a stroke due to an undiagnosed hole in her heart. Her recovery was long and painful. She spent four weeks in hospital, and three months in rehab.
"Learning to walk was one of the most frustrating things because your brain and body don't communicate properly," she said.
"I was able to draw on my experience in calisthenics to help with my recovery, I was able to use routines, and repetition and that helped rewire my brain."
"Racing was my ultimate goal, after my stroke I couldn't drive for more than 6 months, and I thought I may never race again."
Two years later, Cheyanne was able to get back into the driver's seat, something she thought may never happen.
"It wasn't just a race anymore, it felt like such a huge moment. It wasn't just about driving, it was about getting a part of my life back that I thought I'd lost forever."
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy said that while stroke is always a time-critical medical emergency, women remain at greater risks of experiencing delays in diagnosis and treatment.
"Research shows that in emergency departments women have a 25 per cent higher chance of being told their stroke is something else," Dr Murphy said.
"Stroke can look different in women. Women may have the usual F.A.S.T. signs, but they can also feel a severe headache, confusion, loss of balance, or extreme tiredness. These symptoms are sometimes confused with stress or a migraine, which can delay treatment."
"When it comes to stroke, timing matters. The sooner a stroke patient gets medical attention, the better their chance of recovery."
Dr Murphy says you can help saving a life by learning the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke.
Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms - Can they lift both arms?
Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time - Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.
