North Carolina hairdresser has stroke while washing client’s hair

By Jackie Pascale

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    WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (WXII) — Amy Shoemaker has been a hairdresser for more than 41 years. For at least 30 of them, Brent Sharpe has been in her chair, going from longtime client to, eventually, friend.

They have a similar routine: Sharpe cracks jokes, Shoemaker makes comments back, and his haircut is done just in time for him to go back to work as a pharmacist. Sharpe is also a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Clemmons.

His friendship with Shoemaker and career made him uniquely prepared for an emergency situation a few years ago, when Shoemaker did not laugh at his joke. When he looked up, he knew something was wrong.

“Then she fell to the floor,” Sharpe said. “She had a drawn face on one side, speech was very slurred and then weakness on one side.”

He called 911 immediately, recognizing the clear signs that Shoemaker was having a stroke. She was taken to Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and was in surgery within 45 minutes.

Dr. Morry Brown, her diagnostic radiologist, said the quick timing and action are always crucial.

“Technology has improved at warp speed,” Brown said. “So if you’re having a stroke, there are things we can do about it now.”

Brown said the best thing you can do for loved ones is to know the acronym, “BE-FAST.”

B: Balance E: Eyes, having blurry or double vision F: Face drooping A: Arm weakness S: Slurred Speech T: Time to call 911 Shoemaker is thankful Sharpe knew the signs, and also that he was running late to his appointment that day.

“Had he been there earlier, I would’ve had a pair of shears in my hand and it could’ve been devastating for him, too,” she said. “We talk about it now and he says, ‘I could’ve lost what hair I do have, or an ear.'”

Now, Sharpe said he’s intentionally late to all his appointments, since it worked out so well for him that time. And Shoemaker said he’ll have a free pass to be late for life, for potentially saving her life.

Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center is one of three medical centers that is certified by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Find more information on stroke risk and prevention here.

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