After suffering a stroke in January 2022, Lauano Akeli Matulino and his family found their lives changing for the better. The family shared with us the story of their journey, in the hope of raising awareness and encouraging other Pasifika whānau to learn the key signs of a stroke, how to act F.A.S.T and how to reduce the risks to look after yourself and your loved ones.
“It’s not just for him but our family too. It could happen to anyone, it’s not just because of his age. Could happen to Mum, me, my wife, or my kids. It’s good to know and be aware of the signs. So, it helps us too, especially as Pacific Islanders.”
Asani (Lauano Akeli’s eldest son).
In January 2022, Lauano Akeli suffered from a stroke at home as he was making himself a cup of tea.
“That night I went to go pick up my granddaughter Jorey around 9:30pm. We came home, she went into the main house, and I came to the garage to make myself a cup of tea.”
The symptoms came on suddenly – he experienced sudden weakness in his arm when trying to pick up his mug. “I went to go stand up, lifted the cup and it fell. I tried holding the cup, lifting it up again and it fell again” At this point he noticed he couldn’t move his leg. “I put the cup down and tried to lift my leg and it wouldn’t move.”
Lauano Akeli’s wife Telesia says he called out to her saying “Come, I can’t stand up!” and quickly went to see what was wrong. She noticed that he was struggling to stand and saw a change in his appearance “I looked at his face and I could see it had changed, his eye and face were drooping.” Telesia was scared and at that time did not recognise the signs “I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t think to call the ambulance and instead I used the traditional method of healing” (Samoan fofo).
Early next morning, Lauano Akeli and Telesia visited their GP, and on retelling the events of the previous night to his doctor they were immediately referred to Middlemore Hospital where he was diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. Doctors were unable to find the cause of the stroke but because they delayed seeking medical attention immediately, the damage caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain for that extent of time was now permanent.
“Just like the doctor said, I’m not back to 100%. Sometimes when I’m walking my foot drags along, it sometimes feels heavy and sometimes light.” For Lauano Akeli this also meant big changes to his lifestyle - cutting down on alcohol, food, driving and mowing the lawns.
The couple’s youngest son Ray tells us “My old man is a stubborn kind of guy. Basically, all the stuff around the house, he likes to get his hands dirty and all that. Coming back from the hospital, he has cut that down. I told him just relax and don’t get overworked on things.”
The Matulino family have been supporting Lauano Akeli throughout his road to recovery by learning the signs of a stroke and risk factors and making changes to the family’s lifestyle. Telesia says, “My husband enjoyed and often ate unhealthy foods, but now after the stroke we have changed the way we eat and make healthy food choices.”
“My mistake was waiting until the next morning” Telesia said. “When it started, we should have rung the ambulance when we noticed something was wrong.” Moving forward, “My family now know what to do next time – to ring the ambulance” Aluano Akeli followed.
The family wants to encourage everyone, “Especially our elderly and children, that if you see the signs don’t wait – ring 111 straight away. Then if anything were to happen, the medical professionals are there on hand to help.”
Resources available to help you look out for you and your whānau:
To learn more about stroke, including how you may be at risk, how to recognize a stroke and how to act FAST download any of the resources.
What is a Stroke?
• English
• Samoan
• Tongan
What are the Signs of Stroke?
• English
• Samoan
• Tongan
How do I reduce the risk of having a stroke?
• General Tips for Reducing Risk - English
• Reducing Salt intake - English
Most of the resources below can be downloaded as PDF files.
To order any resources in hard copy (subject to availability) please fill out this order form or phone 0800 78 76 53.
The importance of recognizing the signs and acting on them:
A stroke happens when the blood supply to your brain stops suddenly – it is a serious medical emergency and should not be taken lightly. Every minute your brain goes without oxygen is critical, if not treated to fast enough the affected person can suffer from permanent damage to the brain or even death.
In New Zealand, there are over 9,500 strokes happen each year – that’s one every 55 minutes. We encourage all Kiwi communities to learn about the key signs of a stroke are, how to act F.A.S.T. and to dial 111 straight away. Don’t call your GP or try to drive yourself – seek help immediately. Action without delay can save lives.
The sooner someone receives medical treatment the likeliness of brain damage can be reduced and the better chance of a strong recovery and in some cases full recovery is possible.
Know the signs of a stoke – think F.A.S.T:
• Face: drooping, weakness and/or numbness in the face
• Arm: weakness or numbness of the arm (and/or leg)
• Speech: difficulty speaking, disoriented speech
• Take Action: Dial 111 immediately
If you come across somebody you suspect is having a stroke, think F.A.S.T and dial 111 immediately.