The granddaughter of Germantown’s former Rescue Squad Chief, Jerry Abner, is honoring his legacy by working to educate the community during Stroke Awareness Month.
“I would love the opportunity to share my grandfather’s legacy while also helping spread awareness about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance of acting quickly,” said Lorna Stringfield, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Practice Nurse with the Stroke Team at Miami Valley Hospital. “Stroke can impact anyone, and increasing awareness in our community could truly save lives.”
Abner’s Legacy of Care
“My grandfather knew the signs and symptoms of stroke, and he constantly was bringing these people in,” Stringfield said. “And one of the things that he loved to do was educate the community. My grandma actually had a stroke back when I was in nursing school, and because he knew the signs and symptoms, he was able to take her to the hospital and get her the treatment that she needed.”
When Abner had his own stroke in September 2025, he knew the signs and was taken to the hospital by the Germantown Rescue Squad, the very department he had led in the 1980s and 90s. Sadly, he died from a massive stroke in October of last year.
Abner was a squad member for 27 years. During that time, he was very active with Miami Valley CareFlight.
📸 Abner Family
“Experiencing stroke from both the professional side and the deeply personal side changed my perspective forever,” Stringfield said. “Behind every stroke is not just a diagnosis, but a person, a family, and a piece of our community.”
📸 Abner Family
Stroke Aware
As Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Practice Nurse with the Stroke Team at Miami Valley Hospital, Stringfield advises the community to BE FAST, because every minute counts in a stroke.
Stringfield offered the following advice to BE FAST:
The B is for balance. So if you have a sudden onset of balance issues where you're not really able to walk in a straight line, or you have a sudden onset of dizziness
E stands for eyes. If you have a sudden visual disturbance or blurry vision that's not normal for you
The F is for facial asymmetry, which includes facial drooping, weakness on one side of the body
A is for arm, arm drooping or weakness
S is for slurred speech
T, of course, is time. Every second, 32,000 neurons, which are your brain cells, die during a stroke. So that's 1.9 million neurons each minute
Finally, if you have a sudden, terrible headache, the worst headache that you've ever had in your life, that is another symptom.
“That's why it's so important for the community to know these signs, especially since we're a little bit further away from a hospital. It's so important for our neighbors and, our kids and everybody to know the signs so that we can get everybody in our community to the hospital if they have those symptoms,” she said.
Women and Stroke
Stringfield noted that women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke, with 1 in 5 women experiencing one, and they suffer 55,000 more strokes annually than men, partly due to longer life expectancy and unique, hormone-related risks.
Women may experience different, more subtle symptoms, leading to delays in seeking care compared to men. Women over 85 have a higher risk than men, and women between 20-39 are twice as likely to have a stroke as men, often due to pregnancy-related issues.
Unique Risk Factors for Women: Pregnancy, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, hormonal birth control, hormone replacement therapy, and migraines with aura.
Symptoms: Women are more likely to report non-traditional, "nonspecific" symptoms, including: generalized weakness, fatigue or confusion, headaches or nausea, and general cognitive dysfunction.
Staying Safe
While not all strokes can be prevented, many can be reduced through awareness and healthy lifestyle choices. Managing blood pressure, controlling diabetes and cholesterol, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, even by just walking or moving your body, maintaining a healthy weight, and attending regular medical checkups are all important steps in stroke prevention. Recognizing warning signs quickly and seeking immediate medical attention can also dramatically improve outcomes and save lives.
“In July, I'm going to be doing some stroke education at Germantown Fire and EMS, and that's the first time that I'm going back there. So it's probably going to be emotional for me, because it's the first time I'm doing anything with Germantown,” Stringfield shared.
“But, you know, that's one thing that I'm able to do, spread awareness and continue his legacy, just like he did with getting out in the community and spreading awareness.”
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