Fidelio
Oguike lost her husband to stroke. Since then her two sons have worked to raise
awareness of stroke signs, risks and prevention. MacDonald Oguike received a World Stroke Day Award for
the 2016 MasterStroke campaign in Nigeria. Here, Fidelia shares her story and the reasons
why she, like her sons is committed to doing all that she can to prevent stroke.
Before the stroke, did you have any idea that your husband was at any risk of stroke?
No, we were not aware. I was also ignorant of the signs of stroke.
When and how did
you realize that your husband was having a stroke?
We only realized he had stroke when he was taken to our country home.
Someone identified the symptoms and recommended we take him to the hospital.
Can you tell us a
little about your husband before his stroke?
Before my husband had stroke, he was a vibrant man, a hardworking man, who
loved spending time with his wife, children and friends. I would never had
believed that something like that could happen to him. The stroke broke him and
brought him down.
How has life
changed for you and the people around you since your husband’s stroke?
After his stroke, my husband became disabled and unable to walk. He was
disabled for seven years until he passed away few years ago. Before his stroke,
I was also an entrepreneur and had my own convenient store. But when he had
stroke, I had to shut down my business and stay at home to tend to him. It was
a very difficult time. We were lucky that almost all my kids were adults and on
their own. Losing him because of something that could be prevented was sad. Not
having him around has changed everything for me and his kids.
What steps do you
take now to prevent stroke? How are you working to reduce your specific risks?
After watching my husband's experience, I don’t take chances, I go for
regular medical check-up and try (as much as I can) to do exercise often. I
also try to reduce my stress level and check my blood pressure. Two of son's
started a non-profit and project around stroke awareness in Nigeria. I have
been able to learn a lot from their work.
What would you say
to other people to make them take stroke prevention seriously?
My advice to them is to take precaution and not be ignorant with their
health, when you detect any signs, please take a quick action by visiting your
doctor. Also, for those who have a family member with stroke, be patient with
life and support them
What is your
reason for preventing a stroke?
Knowing what I passed through is enough reason for me to prevent it, and
not to allow my children to pass through the same thing, because taken care of
a stroke patient is not an easy task. I want others to know about the signs and
stroke. It is preventable.
