Jill praises hospital team for saving life from deadly stroke
Jillian Ryan, 62, is back to running her home business after suffering from a severe stroke earlier this year.
In September, Jill woke up in her home in Thirsk with a dense weakness on the left side of her body including her face, arm and leg.
She was instantly blue-lighted to The James Cook University Hospital’s neurology and stroke unit as she had shown signs of a stroke.
After initially being assessed by the stroke team and having an urgent computed tomography (CT) scan, clinicians discovered a large clot in the major blood vessel supplying the right side of Jill’s brain.
Hospital staff quickly scrambled to get Jill into the operation theatre and performed a mechanical thrombectomy within the same day of her admission.
Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves removing blood clots from arteries within the brain for patients who have had a stroke.
Thanks to the prompt care from a diverse group of hospital staff, Jill recovered from her stroke and was discharged within six days – with support from the hospital’s community stroke therapy support.
If not for the early intervention by the hospital staff, Jill’s condition could have been fatal as there were chances of her suffering from either permanent brain damage or long-term disability.
This is because the longer a clot blocks blood flow to the brain, the more damage occurs due to the destruction of the brain cells deprived of oxygen.
"From the ambulance crew to right down to the hospital staff, they have all been fantastic."
Highest-ever surgeries performed
A consultant in stroke medicine and acute frailty, Doctor George Thomas, was involved in Jill’s care from the beginning. He said:
“We are just astonished at the remarkable recovery patients like Jill make. This procedure if done within the time window, gives one of three people with a stroke caused by a blockage a chance at regaining complete independence. Just like Jill!!”
George and his team are also celebrating after South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust performed a record 33 mechanical thrombectomy cases in 2024 – the highest number per year for the trust so far. He added:
“This is a huge achievement for us to perform 33 procedures in a year despite our neuroscience centre being the smallest in the UK.
I am very proud of the different specialities that contribute to the mechanical thrombectomy pathway team and the work they do daily. Their industry and dedication to deliver this life-changing treatment to our patients have helped the trust record its highest number of mechanical thrombectomy cases in 2024.”
"The care I received was top-notch and I am grateful for each one of them for saving my life.”
