Life is fragile and some times we forget how things can change in a split second and your world comes to a screeching halt. That happened on February 19th to Pam Gardner and her family.
Pam was having dinner with her husband Denny and friends, when he got up from the table and collapsed. Denny had suffered a massive stroke. Thanks to the quick actions of their dinner guests, paramedics and hospital staff, her husband survived and is recovering.
Tuesday, Pam thanked the people that were instrumental in helping Denny with his health. She also thanked those who helped finish the dream Denny was building, relocating his tack shop from Findlay to his farm on McClain Road in Shawnee. The new shop was no where near complete when he suffered the stroke.
Todd Gardner is a fire fighter with Shawnee Township and a volunteer at Perry. When the departments heard that construction came to a stand still, they all pitched in. Pam Gardner is a cardiologist at Lima Memorial Health Systems and wants to really urge people to know the signs of a stroke, because time is of the essence when getting treatment. She attributes her husband still being alive because they knew what they were dealing with from the time that Denny collapsed.
Think of FAST when looking for signs of a stroke, face, is one side drooping, arms, does one drift downward, speech, are they slurring, and time , if you notice any signs, call 9-1-1.
