Piedmont Columbus Regional has named Keila (pronounced Kayla) Stewart and Mike Davis with Columbus Fire and EMS the organization’s November First Friday Heroes.

They received a call that a person was experiencing weakness on one side of their body. Once they arrived on-scene, the patient’s symptoms were starting to improve. Stewart and Davis still transported the patient to Piedmont Columbus Regional’s Midtown Campus Emergency Department for treatment. Once the patient arrived, all symptoms had resolved.

Prior to staff taking the patient for a CT scan, Stewart, Davis and paramedic student Max Bonin noticed the right side of the patient’s face began to droop— a sign of stroke. They notified a nurse who got the ER doctor. Within minutes, the patient was completely unable to move the right side of their body. The patient was quickly given a stroke treatment medication which dissolves blood clots. The patient had a complete change in status. Had it not been for this crew’s quick assessment, the outcome may have been different.

It's important to BE FAST and recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke: Balance (watch for dizziness or loss of balance), Eyes (check for vision loss or double vision), Face (look for an uneven smile/facial droop), Arm (check if one arm is weak), Speech (listen for slurred speech), and Time (Call 911 at the first sign of these symptoms).

A ceremony with Stewart, Davis, and hospital leadership will be held at a later date to commend them for their response. Their story is also featured throughout the hospital on commemorative posters and Piedmont Columbus Regional’s social media pages.

Piedmont Columbus Regional created the First Friday Hero program in mid-2016 to recognize first responders each month who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Their line of work is often a thankless job and we want to make the community aware of our local heroes and all they do to make Columbus a better and safer place.