According to the American Stroke Association, strokes are the second leading cause of death worldwide just behind heart disease.
The American Stroke Association said every four minutes someone dies in the United States from a stroke, and because of this, Baptist Health Systems hosts support groups every third Wednesday for those in recovery.
Patients, like former Spurs Coyote Tim Derk, come to the event to share the stories of rebuilding their lives. Derk said that for him it was more than just a stroke. It was suffering the loss of his dignity.
Coming from a highly athletic background, Derk said that going from one day dunking a basketball from a trampoline and landing on a gymnasium mat to the next day trying to simply learn how to walk across that same mat was hard to accept.
And it's stories like this that fellow stroke survivor Albert Garza can identify with. He said that the biggest issue is simply knowing the signs of a stroke so that immediate action can be taken.
On the American Stroke Association's website, symptoms are listed as this.
Face Drooping– Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven? 
Arm Weakness– Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? 
Speech Difficulty– Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly? 
Time to call 9-1-1– If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. Beyond F.A.S.T. – Other Symptoms You Should Know
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, arm or face
- Sudden confusion or trouble understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
