GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids father nearly lost his life to a stroke at an R&B concert in Detroit — and says a nurse sitting nearby saved him by acting fast.
The life-threatening medical emergency came less than two weeks after Eric Taylor and his family returned from a dream European vacation.
"During our time there, I had no, no issues. I felt great," Taylor said.
Back at home, Taylor and his wife were looking forward to celebrating their anniversary at the concert in Detroit.
"My wife, she really loves Maxwell, and so what a great way to spend the time together," Taylor said.
Everything seemed normal on the drive across the state and after they took their seats — until Taylor tried to drink water and couldn't.
"I think at that time, paralysis had set in, so I had no feeling on my left side, and I think that's why I fumbled when I went to take that drink of water," Taylor told FOX 17 News. "I just leaned over on my wife's shoulder and she asked, was I Okay? but at that time, my speech was slurred, and I think that's when my wife picked up on just the cue of no, something's wrong."
The nurse sitting next to them acted without hesitation.
"And thank God. Immediately she's like, he's having a stroke. We need to get him out of here," Taylor said.
Taylor was rushed to a hospital seven minutes away and underwent emergency surgery to remove a blood clot.
"I just remember looking up at these lights, and then I was, remember closing my eyes, and I could just feel excruciating pain for about, I would say, maybe 10 seconds. And at that point, I just remember the doctor said, It's okay. It's okay. We got the blood clot," Taylor said.
Taylor, a former professional basketball player and dean at Grand Rapids Christian, has no lingering effects from the 2022 stroke.
He credits his healthy lifestyle, his doctors, and the stranger who spoke up immediately.
"Absolutely without a shadow of a doubt. I think that nurse there, I wish I knew her name, and I could really give a great thank you to her, but I truly think she saved my life. Without a doubt," Taylor said. "I would just say, hey, thank you. Thank you so much for saving my life."
Taylor is now an advocate for stroke awareness and is sharing his story in recognition of National Stroke Month this May.
According to the CDC, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds.
Doctors say it is critical to spot warning signs quickly because a stroke can kill millions of brain cells per minute.
The American Stroke Association urges people to remember the acronym BE-FAST:
B — Balance loss
E — Eye, or vision changes
F — Face drooping
A — Arm weakness
S — Speech difficulties or slurring
T — Time to call 9-1-1
Other symptoms to watch for include numbness, confusion, and sudden severe headache.
As Taylor's story shows, knowing the signs can be the difference between life and death.
"I really came out of that situation, really blessed," Taylor said. "I'm just thankful to be able to... share my story, and hopefully bring awareness to National Stroke Month and being able to hopefully help save someone else's life."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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