Grandmother Shares Story of Survival After Stroke in Left Eye

Barbara Fonner was bringing in a delivery when she had sudden vision loss.

“Literally my eyesight in my left eye from the bottom half down was blurry,” Barbara says.

Barbara had a stroke in her left eye.

That’s why Gillian Gordon Perue, M.D., a vascular neurologist at UHealth, part of the University of Miami Health System at UHealth, says it’s critical to know the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T.

“If there’s sudden onset balance loss, eye symptoms, face drooping or face weakness, arm or leg weakness, slurred speech, then it’s time. Time to call 911,” says Dr. Gordon Perue.
Every 40 seconds someone in the United States suffers from a stroke. UHealth offers a comprehensive approach to stroke care: from prevention to treatment to recovery and rehabilitation.

“Stroke care goes beyond just the hospital, which is beautiful about UHealth because we have an entire system of care,” Dr. Gordon Perue explains. “That might be managing your medications, that might be getting you on an exercise routine, that might be talking to you about your diet.”

Barbara got to the hospital right away. She had surgery to open a blocked carotid artery and regained her vision.

“I’m very blessed, very blessed,” says Barbara.

UHealth launched a multicultural awareness campaign to introduce B.E.F.A.S.T. in other languages.

“We started educating in our Haitian communities here in South Florida and recognized that there’s actually no B.E.F.A.S.T. phrase in Haitian Creole. So, we worked with our patients or multidisciplinary stakeholder-ship to come up with FEL VIT. It is a Haitian Creole term that literally means do it quick, which is same as B.E.F.A.S.T.,” says Dr. Gordon Perue.

Barbara is back to spending time with her four grandkids.

She can’t say enough about the UHealth team.

“Thank you for what you do. Thank you for your undivided care, your love for your patients. All about the U fans. We really are,” Barbara says.

Video transcript compiled by Janna Ross for ‘Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine,’ a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on ABC-Miami Channel 18.  For more stories like this one, visit UHealth’s YouTube channel.
Reviewed by Gillian Gordon Perue, M.D., a vascular neurologist at UHealth, part of the University of Miami Health System.

Tags: BEFAST, Dr. Gillian Gordon Perue, focusing on you, neurology, stroke, stroke prevention, stroke rehab, stroke symptoms, vascular neurologist