How a long-distance phone call to Brisbane revealed 31-year-old man’s potentially deadly ailment 

A woman saved her partner’s life from 22,500km away after realising he was having a stroke while they were on a long-distance phone call.

Madisen Trudell was calling her partner Joseph in Brisbane from the United States when she noticed he wasn’t acting normal.

Ms Trudell noticed the healthy 31-year-old was slurring his speech and mixing up his words and quickly called a friend who rushed to be by his side.

Ms Trudell noticed the healthy 31-year-old was slurring his speech and mixing up his words so she decided to act quickly by calling a friend who dialled triple zero

According to the Courier Mail, Joseph was having a stroke and it was the quick thinking of his partner that saved his life. 

While on the phone with her partner, Ms Trudell became concerned as Joseph’s words became unclear.

‘I kept Joseph on the phone on speaker while I made contact to get him help,’ she said.

‘He seemed frightened and realised something was wrong but didn’t know what it was.’

She managed to contact a friend who called emergency services and rushed to Joseph’s side to stay with him and support him. 

He was rushed to hospital to have a clot retrieval procedure, saving his life and avoiding severe neurological damage.

Ms Trudell said it was by chance that she knew what the warning signs were.

‘I passed by a big sign every day on my way to work warning of the symptoms of stroke and somehow the information just stuck with me,’ she said. 

Joseph was having a stroke and it was the quick thinking of his partner that saved his life

While Joseph lost all feeling in the right side of his body, Ms Trudell’s quick thinking prevented him from a worse outcome.

After spending time in rehabilitation, he has learned to walk again with the support from his partner.  

Ms Trudell was told her timing was critical in avoiding further damage in Joseph’s brain.

Despite Joseph just being 31-years-old and perfectly healthy, the number of young people having strokes in Australia is alarming.

Despite Joseph just being 31-years-old and perfectly healthy, the number of young people having strokes in Australia is alarming

According to the Stroke Foundation, strokes are one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.

Across the country there are currently 142,500 Australian stroke survivors of working age, with 30 per cent of strokes happening to people under 35.

Stroke Foundation warns that strokes can be avoided if lifestyle factors are changed, such as being overweight, drinking too much alcohol and smoking.

Experts warn the best ways to read signals of a stroke are using the FAST method – face, arms, speech, time.

If the face is drooping, arms are feeling weak, and speech is slurred or difficult, experts urge to call emergency services.