Unscathed After a Massive Stroke

Stroke Care: Neuroscience Advancements Saving Lives

As 68-year-old Camano Island resident Patt Bass stepped out of the shower one morning last year, she couldn’t dry herself. Her arms wouldn’t move.

“First it was the arms, and then it was like the rest of my body just stopped working,” she remembers.

Patt fell to the ground so hard her husband heard her from downstairs. “He said to me, ‘What’s the matter?’ and my brain wanted to talk, but I couldn’t get my mouth to talk,” Patt said.

Patt was having a massive stroke. Her husband called 911—and the race to save Patt’s active, on-the-go life began.

Fortunately for Patt, an innovative emergency stroke treatment had just become available to patients 24/7 at Providence Everett.

In the emergency department, Patt heard doctors tell her husband they recommend an endovascular thrombectomy—a minimally invasive procedure which allows specialists to use a catheter inserted in the groin to rapidly reach and remove a stroke-causing clot. They said Patt could be severely disabled if they didn’t quickly clear the clot in her brain. For this avid golfer, hiker, and community volunteer, that was terrifying to hear.

Time is critical

Doctors often use the phrase “time is brain” when it comes to stroke. As many as two million brain cells can die every minute during a stroke. Restoring blood flow to the brain quickly saves lives and brain tissue.

When Patt awoke from the procedure, she could move her arms, her legs—and she could talk again.

“I felt almost like nothing had happened,” she said. Patt was discharged just two days later and played in a golf tournament a few days after that. Not only did she play, Patt won the entire tournament of more than 70 women. “I tried to give you a chance by having a massive stroke last week,” she joked with her fellow golfers.

“You can’t even imagine how much it means to me,” Patt said through tears. “It’s tears of joy. I feel so blessed to be in this position to have had a stroke like that and have it turn out so well.”

Advances fueled by donor funding

Patt’s outcome is one of several success stories of the endovascular thrombectomy program that began at Providence Everett in early January of 2021. Forty-seven patients received an emergency thrombectomy in the program’s first year—averaging almost one per week.

Prior to 2021, patients who needed this emergency procedure often had to be transferred to a Seattle hospital, which could add 60 to 90 minutes to the critical window of time for treatment.

“It has been so exciting to offer this service here in our community,” said Lisa Shumaker, RN, Providence Everett’s Stroke Program Coordinator since 2009. “We have seen some amazing recoveries and this program provides patients with the opportunity to achieve the best outcomes.”

Lisa enjoys contributing to the work and Mission of Providence, both on the job and as a donor to Providence General Foundation through employee giving. She says, over the years, she has seen philanthropy help make life-saving advances like this possible.

In addition to the ability to perform endovascular thrombectomies at any time of day or night here in Everett, Providence Everett also recently invested in a second computerized tomography (CT) scanner in the Emergency Department. That means if one scanner is being used—for a trauma patient, for instance—a stroke patient can go to the second one.

Investments like these save minutes… when they count the most.

“It’s very rewarding and so exciting to see patients have another chance to live a full life,” Lisa said.

You can help fuel advancements in stroke care through The Campaign for A Greater Providence

When someone you love needs a hospital, it better be great. That’s why Providence Everett is investing in key programs such as Heart, Neuro, Trauma, Cancer, and Children’s Services.

To help ensure our community has world-class care close to home, Providence General Foundation is raising at least $30 million through The Campaign for A Greater Providence. Generous contributions from community members, businesses, foundations, physicians, and caregivers have already raised $29 million.

We’ve come so far. All we need is YOU to get to the finish line.

Learn how you can be part of this historic investment in healthcare in our region at www.agreaterprovidence.org.