Michael Delvin
“There’s No Question My Life Was Saved."
Michael Delvin believes he knew the exact moment he had a stroke.
“I was reading a book on my lunch break when I heard a pop in my ear,” he said. “My whole right side started to go tingly and numb, but I was able to get on my feet and call someone.”
Michael was rushed him to Broward Health Medical Center by his co-worker.
Within 35 minutes of arriving at the hospital, he was evaluated by the emergency room physician, and was given tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) to dissolve a small vessel blood and prevent further neurological damage.
A brain MRI revealed that Michael, 63, had suffered an acute stroke and had a blood clot in his heart. He spent the next few days in the hospital's intensive care unit.
What stands out for Michael was his experience with the nurses who were with him through his medical journey. “They truly cared about me, the person, and what was going on inside of me emotionally. Everybody else was taking care of me physically as best as they could to figure out what happened. My nurses were very comforting.”
Michael spent just under a week at Broward Health Medical Center before he was transferred to the in-patient rehabilitation at Broward Health North for additional treatment. The specialized unit at Broward Health North is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for inpatient rehabilitation and stroke specialty services.
After learning how to walk and drive again, Michael is back in his studio warehouse building custom skateboards. He recently designed a skateboard and delivered it to his Broward Health Medical Center caregivers.
“There’s no question my life was saved." Michael said. "The knowledge and actions of the ones who worked on me, I owe my life.”
To learn more about Stroke Care at Broward Health, click below.