From Emergency to Empowerment: John Cline’s Stroke Story

When John’s left arm slid across his desk, he knew something was wrong, but he didn’t move it. His arm moving on its own concerned him and alerted him to tell his wife, Laura.

At the time, he was working in sales and on the phone with a customer in his home office when he noticed this unintentional arm movement. After hanging up, he rushed upstairs to his wife, Laura. 

“I think I’m having a stroke,” John remembers telling Laura. “She looked at me, and she could see my arm and my face were drooping,” he continues. “She said, ‘Yes, you are.’”

Laura reacted quickly and called 911. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rushed them both to Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital’s Emergency Department. Barnes-Jewish St. Peters is a Joint Commission-certified primary stroke center and is the only Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) in St. Charles County.

How BE FAST saves lives

Laura knew the signs and symptoms of a stroke, which helped save John's life. Remember BE FAST:

• Balance: Does the person have a sudden loss of balance?
• Eyes: Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?
• Face: Does the person's face look uneven?
• Arm: Is one arm hanging down?
• Speech: Is the person's speech slurred? Do they have trouble speaking or seem confused?
• Time: Call 911 now.

If you suspect you or a loved one is having a stroke, call 911 instead of taking a car to get to the hospital fast. 

While John was in the ambulance, EMS performed the Fast-ED Stroke Scale Test to check the severity of his symptoms. 

They checked for facial drooping and weakness in his hands; assessed the size of his pupils, checked his vitals, started an IV, and put him on a cardiac monitor.

At the hospital, John was given a thrombolytic medication for ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke. The medication breaks up blood clots and is time-sensitive.

“They treated me so well in the Emergency Department,” John remembers. “They told me about the treatment and my wife and I decided I should do it. By about midnight, I was getting 80–90% of my left arm movement back.”

Giving back: Stroke support group

John was discharged from the hospital three days after arriving and returned to work the following week. A week after that, he resumed traveling for work. It was a recovery made smooth by the fact that John received timely treatment from an expert stroke care team.

 “My recovery was almost immediate because I didn’t have any physical or emotional issues to work through,” he says. 

But John’s journey with stroke wasn’t over. He has made it his life mission to promote stroke awareness in his community. In collaboration with stroke coordinators from Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospital, he helped launch the BJC St. Charles County Stroke Support Group in 2021, which still meets monthly at Barnes-Jewish St. Peter's Hospital.

“I feel blessed,” John says. “All I would like to do is pass those blessings on and help other people when I can.”

During the group sessions, participants can access stroke education, have discussions, and hear from guest speakers in different specialties in medicine, including cardiology, surgery, and more. The group is open to everyone, whether they’re recovering from a stroke or a loved one joining for support and information. If someone is unable to come in person, there is a virtual option.

Along with advocating for people who have experienced stroke, faith plays a big role in John’s life now. He is active in a church and attends senior Bible study every week. He likes sharing and learning from different people’s experiences.

 “Whatever faith you have,” he says, “understand the miracle of your own life and what you’re here for.”

We invite all stroke survivors and their caregivers to join one of our monthly support groups.  Find a support group near you.