Gabrielle Neubert, RN, February 2024
29-year-old stroke survivor/mechanical thrombectomy performed by Dr. Reza Dashti
Meet with a florist for the wedding. Check. Get a good night’s sleep. Check. Rise and shine. Check. Let the dog out. Check. What happened next to 29-year-old Gabrielle Neubert, RN, of Ronkonkoma, on the morning of Thursday, February 8, 2024, was certainly not on her check list… or even on her radar.
In a split-second, Gabrielle’s facial expression went from smiley to droopy. Thankfully her fiancé, Stephen was there and immediately recognized that Gabrielle was having a stroke. He called
9-1-1 and described Gabrielle’s symptoms to the dispatcher. As a registered nurse (RN) studying to become a nurse practitioner (NP), Gabrielle couldn’t believe this was happening to her.
Within minutes, local EMS providers along with Stony Brook mobile stroke unit specialists arrived at Gabrielle and Stephen’s home. Gabrielle’s condition was assessed onboard the mobile stroke unit via telemedicine by a Stony Brook stroke neurologist back at the main hospital. Then, upon consultation with neurosurgeon Dr. Reza Dashti, Associate Director of Stony Brook Cerebrovascular Center, Gabrielle was whisked off to Stony Brook University Hospital. Just one hour later, Dr. Dashti performed a mechanical thrombectomy that removed the large vessel occlusion (blood clot), saving Gabrielle’s life and future.
While stroke seems unlikely for a 29-year-old, it happens more frequently than you’d think. At the time of her stroke, Gabrielle had an often-undiagnosed congenital condition (meaning one that she was born with). It’s called PFO, or patent foramen ovale (a hole in the heart) and is thought to have triggered Gabrielle’s stroke. According to the American Heart Association, young people with congenital heart disease have a risk of stroke that’s 11 times higher than the general population. On the heels of her life-saving mechanical thrombectomy, Gabrielle also had her PFO successfully treated at Stony Brook.
Now anytime someone expresses surprise that a stroke could happen to someone so young, the nurse in Gabrielle reminds them how important it is to go for annual check-ups. You just never know.
When Gabrielle gets married in September 2025, she’ll have the man of her dreams at her side. An NP to add to the RN after her name. And gratitude in her heart for the 9-1-1 dispatcher, EMS providers, mobile stroke unit specialists, and Dr. Dashti and his team at Stony Brook who helped make it all possible.
