JACKSON, Mich — For more than 20 years, Ron Dunfield had a home away from home at the City of Jackson Fire Department and at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, where he worked as a nurse in the Emergency Department. On Thanksgiving Day, the roles reversed.
- Video shows Ron Dunfield and his wife, Nancy, sharing about a stroke Ron suffered on Thanksgiving last year.
- Dr. Katie Artz says it was Ron and Nancy's quick response time that saved his life.
- Both retired nurses and Ron, being a retired firefighter, were able to recognize stroke symptoms right away.
WATCH to learn what the symptoms of stroke are
"I heard a crash. I walked down the hallway and he was lying on the floor, and it was readily apparent that he had had a stroke," explains Ron's wife, Nancy. She is also a retired nurse, and both knew that Ron needed emergency attention.
Ron's doctor, Dr. Katie Artz, is part of a team at Henry Ford Jackson that helps take care of stroke patients every day. Seeing Ron, however, hit close to home. Artz shares, "Ron was still working as a nurse in the Emergency Department when I was a resident, in training, here, and we actually worked on several stroke patients together."
Artz explains what the symptoms of a stroke are. She explains, "The signs of a stroke can be remembered with the acronym: F.A.S.T.
F stands for 'Face', if there's any asymmetry or droopiness of one side of the face compared to the other.
A is for 'Arm', if one arm is weaker compared to the other.
S is for 'Speech', if they're speech is slurred or different from their usual speech.
T is for 'Time to call 9-1-1.'"
WATCH: Dr. Artz explains how you can prevent strokes
Dr. Artz says time was what saved Ron's life. "It was kind of like the roles reversed that day," says Artz. "I was using the skills that he taught me in order to help him." Today, Ron has made an incredible recovery. "They literally saved my life. There's no other way to put it," says Ron. "Everything worked the way it was supposed to work, so am I grateful? Beyond." Grateful for life-saving treatment, and the team that felt like family, who made it possible.
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