Father Recognizes Stroke Signs in 7-Year-Old Son at Ohio Pool

Seven-year-old Geno Mueller was entering a pool in Ohio last July when his father Bo Mueller observed him staggering and noticed drooping on one side of his face. Bo Mueller immediately suspected a stroke and asked his son if he was all right. Geno later recalled that he could move his left arm but not his right.

Lifeguards called 911. Geno was airlifted to Cleveland Clinic, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.

Geno was born with a heart defect and received his first pacemaker at three months old. He underwent open-heart surgery at age three to repair a mitral valve. His mother Adrienne Mueller said the family had believed they were past the period of highest risk for such events.

Geno has returned to school without developmental delays.

His family credits the rapid response for his outcome. Bo Mueller said he feels fortunate that help arrived quickly. The family shared the account during Stroke Awareness Month to note that strokes can occur in children. Pediatric neurologist Dr. Kriti Bhayana, who treated Geno, said early recognition of symptoms improves outcomes because each minute without treatment can cause lasting damage.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that strokes can affect people of any age. Research published in Stroke Research and Treatment in 2011 estimated pediatric strokes occur in roughly 13 of every 100,000 children.