How ‘Wonder Woman’ and the ‘Dynamic Duo’ Saved a Patient Who Had a Stroke While Driving

Charlette Howell-Partee wasn’t scheduled to work on Oct. 25, but she offered to fill in for her supervisor, Sonya Mateen, who was on vacation that week.

While driving home from work in a torrential downpour, Charlette thought she recognized Sonya’s car stalled in a left turn lane at a busy intersection.

Concerned, Charlette pulled over and called Sonya, asking where she was. Sure enough, Sonya was at the intersection Charlette had just driven through. Charlette then asked if Sonya was okay.

Wonder Woman

“Sonya responded in slurred speech saying, ‘Chaaar-let I’mmm okay’,” said Charlette. “I knew she was not fine; I thought she was having a stroke. I said I was going to call her husband, Larry.”

It didn’t take long for Larry to arrive, along with the couple’s adult grandson. Charlette drove back to the intersection to watch over Sonya until help came.

Meanwhile…

Sonya’s recollection was markedly different. While driving, she found herself driving into oncoming traffic.

“A lady honked her horn at me, and I was able to steer into the correct lane. I remember thinking, Why was I in the wrong lane? I wasn’t processing what was happening.”

When she approached the intersection where Charlette had seen her, Sonya pulled into the left turn lane but didn’t make the turn.

“People were honking at me, and I didn’t understand why. Then I saw my husband and grandson who asked me to unlock the doors or roll down the window, but I couldn’t process anything they were saying.”

Someone had called 911, because an ambulance and fire truck arrived.

Because Sonya’s car was in “drive,” the fire fighters placed a barrier in front of her front wheels, while Sonya’s grandson got her to put her car in “park” using her right arm.

Emergency services accessed Sonya’s car using a Slim Jim tool. When an EMT asked Sonya questions, she was unable to answer clearly. Sonya was so weak that it took five people to get her onto the stretcher. The EMT driver asked Larry which hospital they should take her to. He said Trinity Health because her doctor is affiliated there.

“Because of what Charlette did,” said Sonya with delight, “my husband now refers to her as ‘Wonder Woman.’”

“God aligned everything the right way,” Charlette recalled. “Even the traffic was unusually light that day, which placed me where I was supposed to be at the right time.” Photo above: Charlette, Sonya and Larry

The Dynamic Duo

Fortunately for Sonya, the ‘Dynamic Duo’ were available to care for her when she arrived at the Emergency Department (ED) of Trinity Health Grand Rapids.

“During a stroke, for every minute of delay, the patient loses two million neurons in their brain,” said Muhammad Farooq, MD, (left) medical director of Vascular Neurology and Neurohospitalist Section.

“When Sonya came into the ED, we rated her according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score based on her symptoms. She was totally paralyzed on her left side and her speech was slurred. Her score was 16. Anything above a 10 is extremely serious and could leave the patient unable to care for themselves,” Farooq added.

Imaging tests revealed that Sonya’s stroke was due to a large blood clot in her brain. With consent from Sonya and her husband Larry, Trinity Health Grand Rapids' Stroke Team was

able to quickly administer the clot-busting medication TNK (Tenecteplase).

Neurointerventional Radiologist Baljit Deol, MD, (right) also consulted on the case. “I explained to the family that the blockage in Sonya’s brain was caused by a blood clot that was depriving her brain tissue of oxygen. If nothing further were done for her and she was still at a NIH stroke scale score of 16, Sonya would not have been able to conduct her activities of daily living independently. I told Sonya I could guide my devices into the brain and remove the clot by performing an intracranial endovascular thrombectomy,” said Deol.

The family asked Dr. Deol to proceed, and he was able to remove the blockage successfully. The results were amazing. The next day, Sonya seemed back to normal. Her paralysis was completely gone. She was speaking fluently, and it was as if nothing adverse had happened.

Sonya’s Recollection

“I remember that Dr. Deol asked my permission to do a procedure. He said it was a matter of life and death. They did the procedure, and afterward, they brought me to a room and asked me questions like ‘Who is the president?’ The nurse told me I had a stroke, and she was going to take good care of me,” Sonya said.

The next morning, Sonya was in her hospital room with her husband and grandson, and Dr. Deol came in. Sonya’s family gave Dr. Deol hugs. “He said, ‘You are a success story.’”

Sonya was in the hospital for two days. “My care at Trinity Health Grand Rapids was 125 percent. They had conversations with me and my family before and after the procedure. The day after the procedure was a celebration. The medical team really cared about me.”

Less than 24 hours after the stroke, Sonya was able to stand on her own and pose for a photo with the medical team, and her husband and son. “We were all smiles after finding out I had beaten the odds by making a full recovery from that severe stroke. Praise God!”

Best Possible Outcome

“Sonya’s prognosis is excellent,” said Farooq. “We have special types of imaging that allow us to determine what tissue is damaged and at risk of progressing to infarction [tissue death]. Our stroke team is world class. We are lucky to have Dr. Deol at Trinity Health, Grand Rapids. There are not many neurointerventionists like him nationwide who have such an amazing skills and compassion for patients and their families."

Dr. Farooq also stressed the importance of coming to the ED by ambulance. “If you are having stroke-like symptoms, call 911 immediately. If you come by ambulance to the ED, things will go very fast. The EMTs will notify us ahead of time so we can activate our team and be ready to receive the patient at the door.”

Dr. Deol agrees. “The disadvantage we face with stroke patients is that often, when people have symptoms of stroke, they think to themselves, I’ll wait until tomorrow. In contrast, with heart attack symptoms patients often have crushing pain, so they call 911. The delay in seeking care with stroke patients is our great challenge. Never hesitate to call 911.”

There is no substitute for experience and excellence. “We are able to offer the best possible care to our patients because we have an amazing team and state-of-the-art equipment,” Dr. Deol shared. “Dr. Farooq has refined our procedures to the point that we have been objectively rated at the highest level of stroke care eight years in a row.”

Her Wake-up Call Concerning Stress and Loss

“Overall, I feel like a million dollars. I’m making lifestyle changes and eating a bit healthier. My husband takes me to the mall to walk,” Sonya said.

Sonya also recognizes that stress contributed to her stroke. “My stroke could have been catastrophic. I’ve paid a big price for my stress at work,” she said.

In 2021, she lost a 20-year-old grandson to COVID. “After my grandson died, I kept telling myself that I needed to get some help, which I didn’t do. I should have gotten some help to deal with that tragic loss. I have to take care of me,” she admitted.

Due to some residual weakness on her left side, Sonya is using a walker until her physical and occupational therapy allow her to feel confident walking without it. Her left hand and forearm are sore too. Sonya feels that her nerves are ‘waking up’ from the trauma. She is also getting psychotherapy to help her deal with the loss of her grandson.

Sonya acknowledges the serious circumstances of her stroke. She asks people to be more patient while driving.

“I could have killed some people or killed myself because I had the stroke while driving. I ask that people be patient with other drivers. You never know if there could be something medically wrong with the person.”

She is most looking forward to being with her family during the holidays, especially her great grandchildren. “They need me. Thank God for modern medicine.”

Trinity Health Grand Rapids’ Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) Certification

A Comprehensive Stoke Center (CSC) delivers the highest quality of care to the most complex cases, offering evidence-based treatments with cutting edge research protocols.

The Trinity Health Grand Rapids Stroke Team recently celebrated their recertification with DNV as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, along with their 8^th year of Elite Plus Get With the Guidelines for the American Heart Association.