Krista Figari was home alone when she suffered a stroke and used Siri to call 911
Krista Figari suffered a stroke at home and used Siri to call 911
The 38-year-old was treated and doctors discovered her stroke was caused by a congenital heart defect
The medical emergency was caught on her nanny cam footage so she’s now sharing her story to help raise awareness of stroke symptoms
A woman is reflecting on the moment her stroke was caught on camera.
Krista Figari — a 38-year-old special education teacher — was alone in her Manhattan apartment when the medical emergency happened in April 2024.
“A stroke was the last thing I ever expected,” she told Good Morning America. “I woke up, was making my bed, and then I turned around to start walking toward the bathroom. When I turned, there was no balance. I couldn’t stand, and I just fell, started tumbling over to the side. And then I felt like I blacked out for a second and was just on the floor.”
“I literally could not move my leg at all. It was like it was dead,” she recalled. “Same with my arm. Even just trying to pull myself up was impossible. I just was like, ‘What’s happening? I need help.’”
Figari was stuck lying on the floor, confused and unable to get up after the left side of her body went limp. However, she was able to reach her phone and used Siri to call 911.
When medics arrived, Figari was rushed to New York-Presbyterian’s Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was seen by Dr. Nicholas Janocko. The vascular neurologist treated her with thrombolysis, a medicine used to dissolve blood clots.
“At NYP-WC we are very fortunate to have the resources and infrastructure to obtain [an] emergent MRI to try and help these patients who would otherwise not be eligible for treatment,” Janocko told the New York Post. “Had she not come to the hospital in time, or had she gone somewhere else without these capabilities, she may not have been treated with thrombolysis and would be living with disability and left-sided paralysis.”
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The medication helped restore Figari’s movement within 15 minutes. She was able to recover after five days in the hospital, left with only slight weakness in her left hand and mild drooping in her face – symptoms that she said are undetectable today.
Doctors later discovered that Figari’s stroke was caused by a previously undetected congenital heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), in which a hole between the left and right chambers of the heart is left open as opposed to closing after birth, according to Penn Medicine. The teacher eventually underwent a minimally invasive procedure to close the hole.
After returning home, Figari realized that the stroke she suffered in her bedroom was actually caught on her nanny cam footage. She is now sharing her story in hopes of raising awareness of the stroke symptoms and the importance of seeking immediate medical attention.
“Trust your gut,” she told GMA. “If I didn’t trust the fact that something was really wrong, I could be in a very, very different situation right now.”
A stroke occurs when a blood clot or broken vessel prevents blood from getting to your brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They can be fatal if not treated immediately. Strokes are the second leading cause of death worldwide, and fifth most common in the United States.
Experts suggest remembering the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize signs of a stroke. Balance: Watch for a sudden loss of balance. Eyes: Look for sudden vision loss of changes in one or both eyes. Face: Smile and look for a droop in one of both sides of the face. Arms: Someone suffering a stroke will have one arm sag or drop in an unusual way. Speech: Slurred words or having trouble choosing the right words are an indication of stroke. Time: Time is critical so call for medical help immediately.
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