May is American Stroke Month

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has name May as American Stroke Month. Here in Oklahoma we brought two survivors of stroke to visited with lawmakers about the need for quality stroke care in Oklahoma.

Pam, stroke survivor and AHA/ASA volunteer, visited with

Rep. Thompson about stroke care in Oklahoma

Cassandra Rigsby, AHA Intern, Gary and Pam visiting

with Senator Crain about their experiences with stroke.

Pam and Gary speaking with Rep. Coody

Gary shares his experience with having a stroke at

the age of 20 with Senator Todd Lamb.

Consider some facts about stroke from the CDC:

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Around 137,000 Americans die of stroke every year.

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every three to four minutes, someone dies of stroke.

• Stroke is a leading cause of death for both men and women. In 2006, 6 out of every 10 deaths due to stroke were in women.

• Every year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. About 185,000 people who survive a stroke eventually have another.

• In 2010, stroke will cost the United States $73.7 billion. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.