Child Brings Awareness to Heart Walk After Suffering Stroke

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It's a tale-tale sign you're on the verge of suffering a stroke. But one woman mistook this particular sign for the more common issue and wound up in the ER with her young son.

Now, her story is helping others get involved in this year's Oklahoma City Heart Walk.

This mother and son will be walking with a message; heart disease and stroke can affect anyone no matter the gender, race or age.

As the Carl Albert middle school choir gears up for the 6th grade festival 12-year-old Mikey Holmes is just glad he can get both hands up for this performance; a big feat considering what he went through just four months ago.

"On October 26 he came to me and said his arm was asleep," said Mikey's mother, Chris Conner. "I've got three kids, I automatically went and said, ‘Go find something to do, your arm will wake up,'".

Mikey's parent's found him on the floor of his room and called 911. At the hospital doctors discovered a mass in his brain which had caused Mikey to suffer a stroke.

"The stroke affected his left side," Chris Conner said. "He did temporarily lose his ability to speak, but he gained that back really fast. He was not able to walk or move his left arm for 10 days."

Mikey regained most of those skills after doctors operated on him on November 4.

He currently struggles with dexterity and memory issues, something physical therapy twice a week is certainly helping. Mikey's love for music has also struck a sour note. He is learning to play the viola- with a much weaker grasp and limited feeling.

Mikey was very lucky. Where the avium was located only affected his speech a little and he can sing again, something Chris says he's been doing since he was a baby.

Chris says it's also important for parents to know the signs of a stroke; you can find out that and much more, through the American Heart Association.

Register for this year's Heart Walk, which is April 18. Amy will be there too to get things kicked off.