Alfred Forbes

From the Airport to Broward Health’s Operating Room: How Quick Action and AI Saved a Man Minutes Before a Flight

At 76, Alfred Forbes, a Tamarac resident and retired Florida Power & Light employee, lives an active life. Every Saturday, he laces up his cleats for a softball game in Palm Beach County, stays active through walking and exercise and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren. However, days before his planned vacation to Jamaica, a mild but serious symptom gave him an early warning of what was to come.

On the morning of Sept. 10, 2025, while preparing to board a flight, Alfred suddenly became disoriented and agitated. His wife noticed facial changes and immediately called 911, Broward Sheriff’s Office Rescue 10 responded and quickly recognized the signs of a stroke.

“He had a little bit of slurred speech and was confused,” said Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue Lieutenant Abelardo Valiente. “We decided to call it in as a stroke alert, get him on the stretcher and transport him to Broward Health Medical Center.”

As the BSO team assessed him, Alfred joked, “I need to get on that plane,” unaware of the seriousness of his condition.

He arrived at the hospital, where emergency physicians and nurses performed a CT scan in under six minutes. The scan revealed a left middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, and his National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 16, indicating a life-threatening ischemic stroke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly every four minutes someone dies of a stroke. By that time, Alfred’s symptoms included confusion, a right facial droop, right-sided weakness and slurred speech.

The CT scan images, processed using AI-powered imaging software, were immediately sent to Mehdi Bouslama, M.D., a neurovascular surgeon with the Broward Health Physician Group, through a mobile app.

“I’m able to see the images before the Emergency Department even calls me,” Dr. Bouslama said. “AI is trained to recognize interruptions of blood flow. It also helps us communicate with our teams. I get the images on my phone and slide the ‘Go’ button, which activates the neuro coordinators, techs, nurses or the anesthesia team. Everyone is ready and aware.”

Within 18 minutes of arrival, Alfred was given alteplase, a clot-busting medication. He was then rushed to the cath lab, where Dr. Bouslama performed a mechanical thrombectomy. In less than an hour from his arrival, the blood flow to Alfred’s brain was restored.

“What used to take a couple of hours —five to ten years ago— to open a blood vessel now takes less than 10 minutes,” Dr. Bouslama said. “Technology is rapidly evolving, and we’ve committed to bringing in the latest devices so we can do these procedures faster. Time is brain; every minute millions of neurons die, so our goal is to save as much brain tissue as possible.”

The medical team also discovered that the stroke was caused by atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm that Alfred didn’t know he had. Just a few days earlier, while running bases during a softball game, he had mild symptoms and struggled to catch his breath, but once he sat down, the symptoms went away and he thought nothing more of it.

After the surgery, an MRI revealed no permanent damage, and he was discharged a week later with no deficits, a testament to the rapid response, advanced technology and teamwork between first responders and hospital staff.

About a month after the stroke, Alfred reunited with Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue paramedics and Broward Health Medical Center caregivers who saved his life. During the reunion, Dr. Bouslama presented Alfred with the Gift of Life Award, recognizing his courage on behalf of Broward Health.

“If it wasn’t for all of you, I wouldn’t be here,” Alfred said. “I will treasure this for the rest of my life.”

Dr. Bouslama also emphasized the importance of the B.E.F.A.S.T. acronym for recognizing the signs of a stroke:

• Balance: Sudden loss of balance, coordination or dizziness.
• Eyes: Sudden vision changes.
• Face: Uneven appearance, such as a crooked smile or numbness.
• Arms (or legs): Sudden weakness or inability to lift one arm or leg.
• Speech: Slurred speech, trouble speaking or language changes.
• Terrible headache: The worst headache of your life.

“Never wait to call 911. The earlier the treatment, the more brain tissue we can save and the better the outcomes,” Dr. Bouslama said.

Alfred feels great and is looking forward to returning to the softball field.

To learn more about neurological services at Broward Health, visit BrowardHealth.org/Neuro.