Derick Gant from Ohio relied on his Apple Watch to call for help after he had a stroke while exercising outside. The incident shows how even the most active people can experience a medical emergency and benefit from being connected to emergency services through the Apple Watch.
Gant was jumping rope in his driveway last summer when he decided to push harder and break his personal best. Gant reached his workout goal, but then he collapsed and couldn’t feel his leg or arm. His doorbell camera actually caught the whole incident on video.
After collapsing, Gant’s Apple Watch fall detection feature activated and offered to call emergency services. Gant says he initially brushed it off and thought he’d be fine in a couple of minutes, before deciding he needed help.
Within minutes, paramedics arrived at his home and began treating him. His Apple Watch also notified his emergency contacts that an incident had occurred. The response was basically automatic within the first minute of falling and experiencing the stroke.
Derick Gant has made a full recovery less than a year later, and he now knows why he had a stroke despite being physically active at 57.
Gant had recently stopped taking blood thinners. Simply adjusting his medication caused his natural blood clotting tendencies to return, and physical exertion raised his heart rate and blood pressure. This likely resulted in a clot being dislodged that traveled to the brain and blocked his cerebral artery.
The result was an ischemic stroke, preventing oxygen delivery to the brain. A lack of oxygen kills brain cells within minutes, potentially causing permanent brain damage. Gant’s stroke affected his motor cortex specifically based on the loss of arm and leg control.
Gant’s experience is especially relatable for active individuals who rely on medication to manage heart health. It also shows how the Apple Watch can instantly become a lifeline when you least suspect it.
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