Whitebridge's Chris Wheatley shares his stroke experience to mark National Stroke Week

"Thank goodness she saw me fall. She has a health background, so she saw the symptoms and knew what was going on," Mr Wheatley said.

It came as a big shock to learn he had a stroke at age 32.

Mr Wheatley told his story to mark National Stroke Week, which aims to share knowledge to help prevent strokes and aid recovery of those who experience one.

After his stroke, Miss Henderson called an ambulance which took him to John Hunter Hospital.

"The quick response from Brooke and ambulance officers and the incredible services at the hospital gave me a very lucky outcome. Many aren't as lucky," he said.

He soon learned he had "a hole in my heart", known as a PFO [patent foramen ovale].

"They ended up plugging that up because they think it might have been the mechanism that allowed the clot to sneak through," he said.

Mr Wheatley said he had "incredible support" after the stroke from his GP and fiance.

"They were able to connect the dots. But I can definitely see it being quite tricky for others to know what resources are available and linking to the appropriate people," he said.

"My GP connected me to a brain injury service. They were incredible."

He said it was "eye-opening" to see how others were affected by stroke.

Mr Wheatley, now 34, said he had "really good outcomes, but a lot of the stuff I was struggling with was hidden".

He would go out to social occasions and seem fine, but return home and "be on the couch for the rest of the day, zonked out".

"To communicate that to friends and family was difficult. They'd see you at your best, but not understand there were a whole bunch of things happening behind the scenes."

Mr Wheatley thanked his fiance, friends and family for their support.

The Stroke Foundation encourages the community to fight stroke together.

The foundation's chief executive Dr Lisa Murphy said it was a common misconception that stroke only happens to the elderly.

"Stroke can happen to anyone, at any time," Dr Murphy said.

"We know the faster an adult or child gets to hospital and receives medical treatment, the better their chance of survival and a good recovery. Learning the FAST acronym can make a real difference."

The FAST message urges people to know the signs of stroke. That is, has their mouth drooped, can they lift both arms, is their speech slurred and can they understand you.

And lastly, time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000.

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