Without the treatment, she would have ended up in rehabilitation, and maybe even a nursing home. Uskavitch and Dr. Joseph Cornett, an interventional radiologist at Centennial, helped pioneer a technique for stopping strokes before they can cause significant brain damage. The technique involves injecting a drug to dissolve the stroke-causing blood clot and restore blood flow. In the past five years, the doctors at Centennial have used interventional techniques to stop strokes in about 240 people, making Centennial one of the leading centers in the nation for this technique, Uskavitch said. But this was the first time, as far as Uskavitch knew, it had been attempted on a pregnant woman.
Time is critical when battling stroke.
He was home alone with his mother on May 29, when she slumped to the kitchen floor, unable to speak or move her right side. Kasey tried to dial 911 but his mother took the phone away. A few minutes later her husband, Kurt, called from a business trip in Dallas, and Kasey answered the phone. Kurt Eisenmann told his son to get help from the neighbors. The little boy went outside and waved frantically to two men who were working in a yard across the street.