Imagine . . . the impact of sailing, headfirst, through your car windshield in a 70 mph collision. The trauma to your brain has changed your life forever. You have lost the use of one or both sides of your body. You are instantly unable to make others understand what you are saying, and, even worse, you cannot understand what THEY are saying. Imagine . . . never being able to return to your career or take care of your family again.

NOW, imagine that you never left your living room and never had that car accident. But, in one single moment, losses such as these—the result of devastating brain trauma—are now defining your entire existence. That is stroke!

Close to three-quarters of a million people—almost one-quarter of a million of working age or younger (even children and infants)—experience stroke each year in the United States alone, where stroke is the Number One cause of long-term disability among adults. Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the entire world, killing 4.6 million people annually.

Stroke is physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and economically debilitating. While there are certain risk factors, it nonetheless can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status, or general health.

We want to alert YOU to this threat: how to recognize the symptoms of stroke and how one can best minimize chances of being killed or severely disabled by stroke. We want to let the world know the incredible toll that stroke takes on survivors, their families, medicine and society. SAFE is also interested in strategic alignment with other individuals and organizations involved in the causes of stroke support, awareness and/or research, traumatic brain injury and disability. If you are interested in same, please contact us at alliances@strokesafe.org.