Cosy Sunday night at home in an Oodie, and a look that saved Sarah's life

Sarah McBean, 46, of Wodonga, describes how a stroke struck suddenly one ordinary Sunday night in May. After going to bed in an Oodie, she collapsed; within seconds her speech became slurred and unintelligible, her limbs went numb, and her arms and legs lost strength—signals consistent with a medical emergency. Her husband, Matt, who has first-aid training from the Australian Navy Cadets and later worked in the Royal Australian Navy, recognized the change immediately and dialed triple zero. An ambulance from Chiltern transported her to Albury Hospital by midnight, before she was flown to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she spent eight days relearning to walk and talk.