PARENTS' PANIC
Charliee, 7, left fighting for life after suffering stroke when ‘beautiful glow’ faded from her face on playground slide
Plus, all the symptoms of a stroke to look out for
THE family of a seven-year-old who suffered a stroke while going down a slide at her local park say they miss watching their little girl 'dancing around'.
Charliee Sue Salisbury was at the park with her dad, Danny Salisbury, 43, on February 9 when he "instantly" noticed a change in his daughter's face.
6
6
6
Waiting for her at the bottom of the slide, Danny spotted that the left side of Charliee's face had dropped before she collapsed as she tried to stand up.
Danny, a delivery driver, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, said: "As soon as I saw Charliee coming down the slide, I knew something wasn't right - she didn't have the same glow in her beautiful face.
"We were blue-lighted to the hospital because we knew it was a race against time.
"I instantly knew something wasn't right and when we got to the hospital, medics confirmed my worst fear - that she had suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot."
Read more on stroke risk
Although she can mumble, currently Charliee's movement is limited and she has no function on the left side of her body.
Charliee had hours of surgery and will need more for a metal plate to be fitted to her skull.
Medics predict she will take three months to recover in a rehabilitation centre.
Danny said: "When they confirmed it was a stroke, we were hoping the damage was minimal.
Most read in Health
"The hours of surgery Charliee had were the longest of our lives but we're thankful for the medics' amazing efforts.
"Since she's come around, every day, we are hoping for a miracle.
How to check your pulse, for risk of stroke
"She recognises her mum and I but she can't say much - just mumbles.
"Charliee is a treasure - singing and dancing was her life.
"The night before her stroke, she was dancing around the kitchen way past her bedtime.
"I'd give anything to have her do the same right now."
If I wasn't there to notice the sudden change in her, I dread to think where we'd be.
Danny Salisbury
Danny and Hannah, 40, a nursery worker - who share five other children, aged 26, 23, 21, 20, 17- were left "panicked" when Charliee's left side of her face "suddenly drooped" when going down the slide.
They were blue-lighted to Watford General Hospital, Hertfordshire, but then transferred to Royal London Hospital until a bed became available at the specialist hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
At Royal London, medics spent five hours attempting to remove the clot 12 times but were unsuccessful.
In the early hours of on February 10, surgeons removed a third of Charliee's skull as her brain was "dangerously swollen".
She was finally able to go to GOSH where she was sedated until February 14, when she finally came around.
Charliee spent six days in ICU before being transferred to a high-dependency unit.
Then, she went to a shared ward where she has remained since and receives daily physiotherapy.
The clot on Charliee's brain remains and the repeated attempts to remove it have caused "severe damage" to the right side of her brain.
Danny said: "We haven't left her side and are so thankful for the generous support Charliee has received.
"Medics still aren't able to advise what caused the stroke and we don't know what her future will look like.
"I miss seeing our little girl dance around, she has that kind of infectious joy.
"If I wasn't there to notice the sudden change in her, I dread to think where we'd be."
A close friend of the Salisbury's has set up a GoFundMe page to help adapt their home and reduce the financial strain.
Danny said: "Hannah and I aren't able to work at the moment and we'll have to have the downstairs renovated for Charliee because she can't get to her upstairs bedroom.
Read More on The Sun
"We've been blown away by the generosity so far and would be grateful for any continued support."
To donate to the family's GoFundMe .
6
6
6
What are the symptoms of stroke?
The FAST method – which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time – is the easiest way to remember the most common symptoms of stroke:
F = Face drooping - if one side of a person's face is dropped or numb then ask them to smile, if it's uneven then you should seek help.
A = Arm weakness - if one arm is weak or numb then you should ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downwards then you might need to get help
S = Speech difficulty - if a person's speech is slurred then this could be a sign of a stroke
T = Time to call 999 - if a person has the signs above then you need to call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US for emergency care.
Other symptoms include:
- sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- difficulty finding words
- sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- sudden confusion, dizziness or unsteadiness
- a sudden and severe headache
- difficulty understanding what others are saying
- difficulty swallowing
Topics