Awareness of stroke symptoms leads one woman to seek care, recovery quickly.

(PRUnderground) June 5th, 2025

A stroke can affect anyone at any age; however, they are pretty rare in younger individuals. That is why when Krista Jenkins woke up one morning last January, her condition surprised her and her family.

“My dog was whining, and I called to her to be quiet, but it didn’t come out quite right,” said Jenkins, a 33-year-old mother of two from Fairview, Utah. “It was just like a jumble of slurred words.”

Her boyfriend, Tyrell Hammon, was concerned. Although Jenkins told him she was alright, he had recently had stroke awareness training through work at Christensen Ready Mix. “He was like, no, I think we need to go to the doctor,” she said.

Although Jenkins didn’t have many of the other common symptoms of stroke such as balance problems, eye or vision concerns, face dropping, or arm weakness, the speech issues in a woman so young caused concern for caregivers at Intermountain Health Sanpete Valley Hospital.

“Krista mentioned that her tongue felt swollen, so I checked but didn’t see that,” said Brett Johnson, DO, a family medicine physician and Stroke and Trauma Medical Director at Intermountain Health Sanpete Valley Hospital. “I asked her if her tongue felt numb and I asked her boyfriend if she was having a hard time speaking.  He replied, ‘Yes,’ and went on to say that she couldn’t get her words out that morning.”

Dr. Johnson, who was manning the ER, said they started looking at the possibility of stroke, but a CT scan of Jenkins’ brain came back negative. After consulting with Intermountain Health’s  Telestroke neurologists, Dr. Johnson told Jenkins he wanted to do an MRI which revealed the stroke.

“They got me right back and did two MRIs and six CT scans and found that I had had two mini strokes,” said Jenkins. She was immediately transported to Intermountain Health Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.

Jenkins described having two clots, one in the right cerebral hemisphere and one in the left middle frontal gyrus. “With the size of the clots, it’s a wonder I didn’t have more symptoms.”

Now in recovery, Jenkins is encouraging others to be aware of symptoms and to act fast if there are concerns. “Time is so important,” she said.

Quick medical treatment during a stroke is one of the most important factors in determining a good outcome. If a stroke does occur, there are treatments available to prevent long-term brain injury. These treatments are focused on restoring blood flow to the brain to prevent brain tissue from dying due to lack of blood flow.

The Intermountain Health neurosciences team is focused on saving brain and improving outcomes for stroke patients because every second a person has a stroke, 32,000 neurons die.

Treatments include a blood clot dissolving medication called tenectaplase (tPA) and a procedure that uses a catheter to pull blood clots out of large arteries in the brain. Both treatments can significantly reduce potential disability but are very time sensitive.

Strokes, which occur when a part of the brain is damaged due to a problem with blood flow, are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. One in 20 adult deaths are due to strokes.

Intermountain Health experts say that, when it comes to strokes, individuals should “B.E. F.A.S.T” and call 911 when you see these signs:

• Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
• Eyes: Sudden change in vision
• Face: Sudden weakness of the face
• Arm: Sudden weakness of an arm or leg
• Speech: Sudden difficulty speaking
• Time: Time the symptoms started.

An estimated 610,000 people in the United States suffer a new stroke each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While some factors that increase the risk of stroke — such as age, gender and ethnicity, can’t be controlled — managing unhealthy habits, including smoking, excessive drinking, poor eating habits, and inactivity, can reduce your risk of stroke.

Jenkins expresses gratitude that her boyfriend knew the symptoms, and for the care she received at both hospitals.

“Dr. Johnson was really thorough,” said Jenkins. “I’m so glad he caught this. He was just so willing to look into it and go as far as he needed to get it figured out. The doctors at Utah Valley also said he was really thorough.”

If you see someone exhibiting signs of stroke, remember to B.E. F.A.S.T. and call 9-1-1.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.

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Original Press Release.