West Bend, WI – A nine-year-old girl from West Bend, WI is credited with saving her mother’s life as she was suffering a severe stroke the morning of May 29, 2024.
The day started normal for Carrie Obst and her daughter Marisa. The pair had their morning routine as Carrie prepared breakfast for Marisa as she was getting ready for school.
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“I asked mom for 10 more minutes of sleep,” Marisa said. “I never imagined what was about to happen.”
Carrie was home alone with Marisa when a spontaneous dissection stroke caused her to faint.
“I was trying to put something in the microwave at about 7:10 a.m. and my arm just wouldn’t work,” Carrie said. “I just felt strange, so I took off my glasses and the next thing I knew my legs left me and I grabbed the oven door handle and then Marisa caught me.”
Marisa could tell something was wrong when her mom wasn’t responding to questions she asked repeatedly.
“I asked what color I was supposed to be wearing tomorrow. She wasn’t responding,” Marisa said. “I thought she was passing out. I called my dad, and he told me to call 911. It was very scary because I didn’t know what to do. I really didn’t know what was going on.
“The EMT said, ‘Carrie, I believe you are having a stroke;’ I felt silly everyone was being so serious about this “dizzy fall” I had,” she said. “I lost my voice, I could hear and was trying to formulate words, but they just wouldn’t come out.”
Carrie was rushed to Froedtert West Bend where they injected her with a clot-busting drug TNK. She was transferred to Main Froedtert where a mechanical thrombectomy was performed.
“I was intubated and told my left side was not responding,” said Carrie. “I had a NIH score of 32. The range of 21-42 represents a severe stroke.”
“My whole left side was not responding,” said Carrie. “My pinky, my pointer and my thumb don’t work as well, but thanks to Merisa’s fast acting and being really calm under pressure I came out of this stroke unscathed. She is my hero.”
After this medical emergency, friends and family have come together to support Carrie and the experience has made her grateful for what she has.
“You know I am just profoundly thankful. I feel like this is just a real awakening for me. God gave me this gift and I am just not done yet. I am overwhelmed by the love and prayers everyone has sent,” Carrie said. “My friends, my family, my theater group, just everyone has been really amazing and helped me.”
