June 1, 2009 Iva Mae Sikes found herself in an Emergency Room bed at Mena Regional Health System surrounded by nurses and a computer in front of her with a male voice asking her questions about how she was feeling. Her entire left side of her body was paralyzed. Her speech was slurred and her left side of her face was drooping. Iva Mae had suffered a stroke and from 145 miles away at Little Rock UAMS a neurologist was evaluating her symptoms.
Iva Mae just celebrated her 90th birthday May 5, 2010. She was a victim of a stroke last June but with the ability of Mena Regional Health System having joined the Arkansas SAVES program, the doctors and nurses were able to administer the lifesaving medicine that must be administered within three hours of a stroke to dissolve blood clots.
Strokes are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Mena Regional Health System is very fortunate to work with the Arkansas SAVES Program.
