Ohio Boy, 7, Survives Stroke After Father Notices Symptoms

Seven-year-old Geno Mueller showed signs of a stroke while entering a pool in Ohio last July. His father, Bo Mueller, noticed staggering and facial drooping and called for help. Lifeguards contacted emergency services. Geno was flown to Cleveland Clinic, where doctors removed a clot from his brain.

Geno was born with a heart defect and received a 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.

Geno reported that he could not move his right arm.

He described the episode as frightening. Dr. Kriti Bhayana, a pediatric neurologist at Cleveland Clinic Children's who treated Geno, said early recognition of symptoms improves outcomes. Geno has returned to school without developmental delays, according to his family.

They are sharing the story during Stroke Awareness Month to note that strokes can occur in children. 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 stroke incidence at about 13 per 100,000 children.