Such an opportunity is provided by the unique educational programme FAST Heroes
- The statistics are shocking: worldwide, someone suffers a stroke every six seconds.
In Poland, this is about 80 000 people a year, of whom as many as 30 000 die within a month.
- Stroke is a life-threatening condition in which a truly rapid response is important.
- Studies show that even a 5-year-old child can recognise the characteristic symptoms of a stroke in the person they are with and react accordingly - dial 112 and call an ambulance. They just need to be taught to do so.
- Despite the significant advances that have been made in recent years in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke in Poland, it remains one of the most common causes of death and the most common cause of disability in adults. Both in our clinical practice and in our private lives, we repeatedly meet people who have suffered it and are struggling with its consequences. However, we are not powerless. Appropriate education, preferably carried out from an early age, can become our great ally in preventing the catastrophic consequences of stroke. Such a project is the FAST Heroes programme, developed as part of the Angels Initiative. It has gained the support of the World Stroke Organisation and, in Poland, many neurology experts - notes Adam Kobayashi, M.D., professor of medicine at the university, chairman of the Brain Vascular Diseases Section of the Polish Neurological Society.
The FAST Heroes educational programme aimed at pre-schoolers and students in grades 1-3 will be implemented in Poland for the third time this May. Nearly 20,000 children and more than 920 schools and kindergartens from all over the country took part in the first two editions. The programme has been very enthusiastically received by teachers, parents and the children themselves.
- The FAST Heroes education programme is a much-needed initiative. I myself know people who have suffered a stroke - a colleague of mine was recently hospitalised for this very reason. That is why, once again, as a Foundation, we are supporting this extremely valuable programme and trying to help make it known. I also know that it is very well received by the teaching community, which I am delighted about. I very much encourage all kindergartens and schools to join the programme. I would like to mention that the programme is not only The programme is not only visually appealing, it is also informative, which makes the children eager to participate and has fun at the same time. - says Marcin Korczyc, teacher and president of the 'I, Teacher' Foundation.
The organisers of the programme, the Angels Initiative, which has been working hard for years to improve the quality of treatment for stroke patients and increase the number of stroke units in Poland and around the world, hope that more educational facilities and thousands of children will join the programme in this edition as well.
Dr Sebastian Szyper, President of the Stroke Association - Support Counts, notes that: The FAST Heroes educational programme helps to impart potentially life-saving knowledge in an accessible and age-appropriate way to children. As young as 5 years old can learn to recognise the characteristic symptoms of a stroke and respond accordingly. That is why we decided to bring this unique initiative under the auspices of the Stroke Association. We firmly believe that participating in the programme can really raise awareness of stroke, not only among the youngest but also among their parents and grandparents.
FAST 2022 CREW HERO AWARDS
This year, for the first time, the organisers of FAST Heroes decided to award special prizes to teachers particularly involved in the programme, as well as to children,
who have shown exceptional enthusiasm and applied the knowledge gained in the campaign to real life. The deadline for nominations for the awards is 6 May this year.
Detailed information on the categories and conditions of participation can be found at https://pl–en.fastheroes.com/awards//.
Detailed information on the programme and facility registration: www.fastheroes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FastHeroesPolska
A video on the FAST Heroes programme made by BBC television: https://vimeo.com/668196774/b2125b4645
Media information: Joanna Rosochacka, j.rosochacka@primum.pl, tel. +48 696 403 363
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FAST HEROES PROGRAMME - LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
The FAST Heroes programme was developed by the Department of Educational and Social Policy at the University of Macedonia and an international group of specialists, teaching methodologists and medical experts. It is designed for children aged 5-9 years. It consists of 5 educational activities, using graphically attractive exercise books and e-books, during which members of the FAST Crew - charismatic grandparents Frank and Arnold, grandmother Sophia and their grandson Timmy - present to children in a simple and accessible way the most characteristic symptoms of a stroke and teach them when and why to call the emergency number 112. The knowledge gained can then be shared with their parents and grandparents.