BROWNSVILLE – The fourth-annual “Red Ball” to benefit education to stop strokes or “brain attacks” in the Valley will be held on Saturday evening, May 5, 2018 at the Venezzia, located at 5 Event Center Blvd., in Brownsville.
The black-tie event will be an elegant evening featuring dinner and musical entertainment. In addition, there will be a celebration program to honor Valley residents who have survived stroke.
“Valley Baptist Health System continues to be committed to this cause and remains the “Primary Stroke Center” in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Dr. Ameer E. Hassan, DO, FAHA, FSVIN, Head of the Neuroscience Department, Director of Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology and Director of Clinical Neuroscience Research at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen and serves on the Red Ball planning committee. “As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, we are dedicated to offering better outcomes for patients.”
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease which affects the arteries leading to the brain and the arteries within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, and that part of the brain starts to die.
Each year in the United States, approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States – and a leading cause of disability. In the Valley, many residents are at risk of stroke because of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
“While strides have been made in stroke education in the Rio Grande Valley, there is still more work to be done to educate the community, said Dr. Hassan. “Red Ball gives us the opportunity to further educate the Valley and also celebrate all our survivors.”
Proceeds from the “Red Ball” event to stop stroke will benefit local educational efforts of The Stroke Research and Education Foundation. Those who would like more information on the gala may e-mail [email protected].
Information is also available on Facebook, by searching for “The Red Ball-Benefitting Education to Stop Stroke in the RGV.”
It’s important for Valley residents to know the following warning signs of stroke and teach them to others – because with stroke, every second counts:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Stroke is a medical emergency – call 911 immediately if you or someone you know experiences symptoms.
Learning to recognize the warning signs of stroke and acting quickly when they occur can mean the difference in surviving a stroke and minimizing long-term disability, or being physically and mentally devastated and dying from stroke.
