 When people think of a stroke, a child is not the first image that comes to mind. The International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke aims to change that in May. We have collaborated with other pediatric stroke advocacy leaders to create a campaign to raise awareness that a stroke can happen to children, teens and babies, even before birth. We are asking you to visit the United For Pediatric Stroke website, take part in any or all of the easy ways to raise awareness, and then share with your friends, family, and colleagues.
|
|
|
Be Visible
Last October, for World Stroke Day, we started a World Map that enables families from all over the globe to share their pediatric stroke stories. This May, we want to continue to add stories to the map to really illustrate how many children have been affected by stroke. If your child has had a stroke or if you are an adult that had a stroke as a child, we want to hear from you! Simple go to the World Map page and enter the name, age at time of stroke, location and share the story and/or picture.
Let’s put Pediatric Stroke on the map!
|
|
|
Be Heard
This is your chance to give a “voice” for children. During the month of May, keep an eye on the Be Heard page for ways to extend the message that strokes can happen at ANY age, like:
- World Pediatric Stroke Awareness Week (#WPSAW), May 7 – 13.
- My Stroke Story (#MyStrokeStory), which will showcase one story each day in May.
- "Pediatric Stroke is Real", a free webinar on May 11 at 1pm EDT that features pediatric emergency doctor Dr. Peter Antevy and World Pediatric Stroke Association's Jessica Spear.
- Support Pediatric Stroke Awareness by changing your profile picture on Twitter or Facebook via our Twibbon campaign.
|
|
|
Unite for Change
In honor of Stroke Awareness Month, we want to ensure that the awareness and education for pediatric stroke grows. Whether you are a healthcare provider, an impacted family or someone just learning of the possibility of stroke among children, we encourage you to increase your knowledge of pediatric stroke. The Unite for Change page has a comprehensive list of resources, publications and information to read and share. It is important that this campaign ignites awareness and education across the globe.
We thank you for supporting the campaign!
|
|
|
|
Resources for Patients, Families, & Healthcare Providers
|
|
|
 We don’t want you to miss these useful tools for families, healthcare providers, and patients from the Project for Expansion of Education in Pediatric Stroke (PEEPS). These three resources were funded through a quality improvement grant from the North Carolina Stroke Care Collaborative and are available online at no cost:
- An Overview of Pediatric Stroke: Prenatal through Teenager: An Educational Guide for Healthcare Providers will soon be added to the Carolina Acute Stroke Training (CAST) program which currently has six education modules for stroke. Each module ends with a “Completion Certificate” which indicates learning hours for a wide range of learners.
- The Pediatric Stroke Patient and Family Guide is intended to give families guidance on how to navigate this new journey after learning their child has suffered a stroke. Included in this booklet are terms you can use, types of specialists you may need to consult, and types of therapy that may be useful based on the age of the child. Parents have provided words of hope as well.
- The Pediatric Stroke brochure is a condensed, trifold pamphlet that gives a quick overview of the risk factors of stroke for both perinatal and childhood. It lists what to look for and what to do if your child is experiencing any of the signs and symptoms of a stroke.
|
|
Stroke Rehabilitation Module Update Includes Pediatric Stroke Recommendations
 The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has just published the revised Stroke Rehabilitation recommendations in the International Journal of Stroke as part of the fifth edition of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations. They have included a section devoted specifically to pediatrics, which begins on page 20. This is valuable information that should be shared with families and healthcare professionals worldwide.
Click here to download the recommendations from the International Journal of Stroke website.
Thank you to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for continuing to include the pediatric population and emphasizing the need for a committed interprofessional team approach to stroke care across the continuum for all ages.
|
|
|
|
