A father's quick thinking helped save his young son after the boy suffered a stroke.
Seven-year-old Geno Mueller was enjoying what was supposed to be a fun day at the pool last summer when he suddenly began showing signs that would change his and his family members' lives in an instant.
As Geno was walking into the pool last July, his father Bo Mueller said he noticed something alarming.
"As he walked into the pool, I noticed that he was staggering a little bit," Mueller, an Ohio father of three boys, said in an interview that aired Tuesday on"I was thinking he was going to die, that's what was going through my head," Mueller said. "I could touch Dad with my left arm but like, I couldn't really touch him with my right arm," he said.
Lifeguards called 911, and Geno was flown to the Cleveland Clinic, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a clot from his brain, according to Geno's family. Geno was born with a heart defect and underwent several procedures early in life, his mother said.
"He had his first pacemaker implanted when he was about 3 months old ... and his first open heart surgery when he was just about 3 years old to fix a mitral valve issue," Geno's mom Adrienne Mueller told "GMA. " "We thought we were well outside the window for this sort of occurrence.
" Geno has since recovered, according to the Mueller family, who said they are sharing Geno's story during the month of May,published in the journal Stroke Research and Treatment Among children, a stroke diagnosis can be delayed because stroke symptoms in kids "can be subtle and nonspecific," the authors wrote, noting that symptoms in kids may include mild single limb weakness, incoordination, and sensory disturbances. Many also do not suspect a stroke in a child, so they may be slower to connect the dots that a child is experiencing an emergency they might expect only in older adults.
Dr. Kriti Bhayana, a pediatric neurologist with Cleveland Clinic Children's who treated Geno, told "GMA" that knowing stroke symptoms is critical because every minute without treatment can lead to permanent damage.
"Recognizing those symptoms is the most important in getting them early intervention, because they can have a much better outcome," Bhayana said. Geno is now back in school with no developmental delays, according to his family, who credit his dad with recognizing the warning signs and acting quickly.
"I just feel very lucky and blessed, how quickly we were able to get him the help he needed," Mueller said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Boys Finally Debuts The OTHER Soldier Boy (Sort Of)The Boys’ comic book heroes are being referenced.
Read more »
Investigation underway after 17-year-old boy shot and killed in East Los AngelesAn investigation is underway in East Los Angeles after a teenager was shot early Saturday morning and later died.
Read more »
Sicko wanted for shoving group of children, choking 7-year-old boy in NYC parkThe creep in athletic sneakers allegedly knocked a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl to the ground — before alarmingly grabbing a 7-year-old boy’s neck and attempting to strangle him.
Read more »
Community mourns death of teenage boy shot and killed in East Los AngelesLoved ones are desperate for answers after a teenage boy was shot and killed in East Los Angeles. A makeshift memorial now grows in his neighborhood.
Read more »