Cycling to Stamp Out Stroke

Deb Owens and Dr. Andy Southerland spinning to stamp out stroke

After her own stroke scare, Deb Owens, turned her love for spin classes into an event to raise awareness about stroke. UVA neurologist and stroke expert Dr. Andy Southerland rode beside her at the UVA Spokes for Strokes spin-a-thon on May 6, 2017 at EDGE Studio, Charlottesville.

5.9.2017

Cycling to Stamp Out Stroke

After her own stroke scare, Deb Owens, MSN, NNP-BC, Director of UVA Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services, turned her love for spin classes into an event to raise awareness about stroke and to raise money for stroke research at UVA.

This year, another stroke survivor and grateful UVA patient, Skylar Doerwaldt, joined Owens in her efforts at the UVA Spokes for Strokes spin-a-thon on May 6, 2017.

Participants in UVA Spokes for Strokes 2017 — Stroke survivors Skylar Doerwaldt and Deb Owens (middle left to right) catch their breath after the spin-a-thon. Neurologist Dr. Andy Southerland and UVA nurse Abby Rieman also took part in the event to raise awareness about stroke and how 1/3 of strokes happen to those under 65 .

I’m too young to be having a stroke
Deb and Skylar were both young and fit when in 2015 they each had a sudden tearing of a blood vessel in the neck (cervical artery dissection). Although rare, this condition is a major cause of stroke in children and young to middle-aged adults. A severe headache and pain in the face or neck are the hallmark signs of this type of stroke, says UVA neurologist Dr. Andy Southerland.

The UVA Stroke Center is an international leader in stroke care and research. In fact, UVA has developed one of the largest databases of cervical artery dissection around the world aimed at targeted research for this rare but devastating condition.

Are You At Risk for Stroke?
Check out this post on UVA’s Healthy Balance blog.

Thanks to Justin Ide for taking photos of the event.