Pug dog helps save stroke victim's life
A stroke victim whose life was saved thanks to her pet pug is helping others by taking part in a stroke research trial at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH).
Carole Clayton, age 77 from Willaston, came downstairs one morning to feed her pug dog, Tilly, when she suffered a severe stroke. Luckily Carole’s daughter, Alexandra, was staying with her to help tend a wound dressing for Tilly following the dog’s recent operation, or things could have turned out very differently.
Reflecting on how lucky she was, Carole said: “If it wasn’t for Tilly needing her dressing changing, I could have been alone when I had the stroke, and who knows what might have happened.”
Her daughter Alexandra noticed that Carole was talking incoherently, one of the signs of a stroke, and she was rushed to hospital.
Within an hour of her first symptoms, Carole was in the A&E department at Arrowe Park Hospital being seen by a medic.
Carole said: “The staff at the hospital were fantastic. I was assessed immediately and taken straight away to be seen by a stroke consultant, Dr Ruth Davies. She was absolutely brilliant, she told me so clearly what was happening and put me at my ease, so I knew I was in safe hands.”
Within another hour and a quarter Carole was on the stroke ward being treated.
The most important thing when dealing with a stroke is to act fast.
Eleven months later, and Carole is doing fantastically well. She’s driving again and life is almost back to normal.
Carole is now helping other stroke victims by taking part in a stroke clinical research trial at WUTH called LIBREXIA. This trial is to show the safety and benefits of a new blood thinning pill, Milvexian, in preventing recurrent strokes for patients who have had an acute ischemic stroke (ie a stroke caused by blood clots blocking the blood vessel interrupting blood supply to the brain).
“When I was on the ward, I was approached by Dr Davies and stroke research nurse, Venetia Johnson, who asked if I would be willing to take part in the research study. I said yes, I’d do anything to help others.”
As part of the trial, Carole attends regular three-monthly appointments at the Wirral Research and Innovation Centre, Clatterbridge. “I’m really happy that Dr Davies and Venetia are still looking after me”, Carole said. “If I wasn’t on the trial, I would have been discharged by now. Because I’m still being seen, I know that if anything was wrong, it would be noticed sooner.”
The hour-long appointments involve having a blood test, being weighed and answering questions. “I honestly don’t feel like I’m doing very much”, Carol added.
Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive, said: “We’re extremely grateful to patients like Carole for taking part in research for the benefit of others as well as themselves. As a Trust we recognise just how hugely important clinical research is in discovering better healthcare treatments for our local population. That’s why we have recently launched the Wirral Research and Innovation Centre, so that we can grow the volume and range of research we carry out.”
ENDS
Photo: Carole Clayton with Tilly
If you would like to find out more about how to take part in research at WUTH, please visit our research pages here.