Concreter survives three deadly strokes, warns against ignoring symptoms
A Queensland stroke survivor is overhauling his life and spreading awareness of symptoms after nearly dying this year, as experts say rushing to hospital as soon as possible is critical.
A Sunshine Coast concreter suffered three strokes within 24 hours in February before seeking medical treatment. His 39-year-old wife's call to an ambulance saved his life, as doctors found he had endured a second stroke two years earlier. The concreter, Dru Arnold, has since mostly recovered, but his speech remains affected.
Arnold credits his survival to time, as most people wouldn't consider strokes as a potential threat. Stroke nurses agree, with one stating that a 39-year-old wouldn't typically be concerned about stroke symptoms. Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in Australians, claiming 9,147 lives in 2024, with an average occurrence every 11 minutes.
Queensland Health advises that 80% of strokes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure, and managing heart conditions or diabetes. Recent data shows an increase in strokes among people under 65, largely due to obesity and diabetes. Symptoms of a stroke include facial droop, arm weakness, slurred speech, headaches, and brain fog.
Dru Arnold wants to raise awareness about stroke symptoms, emphasizing that recognizing these signs could save a life. He hopes his experience will encourage people to act quickly if they witness stroke symptoms in themselves or others, potentially preventing the devastating effects of a delayed diagnosis.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
