Parkland, FL -- Buthler Julien was home watching a sports game when he started having a stroke. He tried to stand up, but his right leg did not respond and he fell down. Luckily his then-girlfriend Evelyn Galarza, a registered nurse at Broward Health Medical Center, was home and recognized the signs of a stroke.

She asked Buthler to smile for her. When he was unable to lift the right side of his face Evelyn called 9-1-1.

The emergency medical team bypassed area hospitals to bring Buthler to Broward Health North’s Emergency Department, because it is a comprehensive stroke center that offers advanced care for stroke. Buthler underwent a mechanical thrombectomy procedure. Celso Agner, M.D., a neurointerventionalist at Broward Health, placed a stent, or wire mesh, into the cerebral artery to locate and remove the blood clot, restoring normal blood flow to the brain.

Though Buthler’s surgery was successful, he has had a long road to recovery. He was hospitalized for 37 days. After being stabilized by Dr. Agner and his stroke team, Buthler was transferred to Broward Health North’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, where he worked with a multidisciplinary team of physical, occupational and speech therapists to regain control of his movements.

Through perseverance and a positive attitude, Buthler is now independent and can walk unassisted. Buthler and Evelyn are now engaged and planning their wedding.