Ryan Kennedy, 29, was airlifted to Stanford so experts here could treat his stroke. Stroke is unusual in people his age. Not until doctors showed him a scan of his brain did Kennedy believe what was happening to him. When his first symptoms appeared—sudden dizziness, one-sided facial droop, and the inability to speak clearly—he didn’t know what to think.

Quick treatment saves brain function after a stroke—Kennedy is back to work and the active life he had before the stroke. Now, all his friends know that youth is no protection against stroke. Kennedy also now knows the symptoms. "If I had known them before the stroke," he said, "I would have gone straight to the hospital!"

Learn more about stroke in young people.