YORK, Pa. - It was quick action, and quick thinking that saved a 26-year-old's life 11 months ago, not to mention the brilliant doctors from Wellspan York Hospital. But there was one other thing that gave Justin Grimes the best chance for success.
There's a reason Grimes and Dr. Grant Sorkin, the Surgical Director of the Stroke Program at Wellspan Health, were brought together.
"He's very fortunate, his family is very fortunate,” Dr. Sorkin said. “And frankly we're all just happy to be a part of his story."
Back in September, Grimes, then 25 years old, suffered an acute brain stroke. One minute he was playing with his three kids. The next -
"I just fell over and I couldn't get back up,” Grimes said. “I was trying to get back up but I couldn't. And then I just laid there. I thought the world was passing me by. Crazy."
Acting fast, his wife called 911. Though uncommon for such a young age, it's not rare. Turns out Grimes had a predisposition that led to the stroke. At the time, no one knew. Time was of the essence.
"It's hard to answer why at that time," Dr. Sorkin said. "It's really damage control. You can answer what and how to fix. And that's what we try to focus on."
And they did it with state of the art diagnostic imaging, and some of the most cutting edge technology. Wellspan York Hospital is one of two hospitals in the area to earn the designation of Comprehensive Stroke Center; the highest level of stroke certification available.
"It's a big deal because of stories like Justin," Dr. Sorkin said. "You don't plan for it. You don't expect it. But stroke is a bad disease process and it is critically important for treatment in a timely fashion."
Dr. Sorkin said Grime's recovery was incredible, even calling it miraculous.
Only in the hospital for 11 days, Grimes is back to his old self, and with a new lease on life.
"I think about it every day I wake up," Grimes said. "Every day I wake up. I'm just grateful he saved my life so I can be here for my kids and my wife."
There's a scale to measure the severity of a stroke. It's called the NIH scale. It goes from 0-42. Justin was a 25, which fell under the fatal category.
