Sarasota hospital employee helps save co-worker suffering from stroke: 'She gave me the second chance at life'

SARASOTA, Fla. - ‘Fast’-thinking employees at a Sarasota hospital are being credited with helping save a co-worker’s life by recognizing the signs of stroke.  

Luis Galaz is known for his smile and for lifting patient’s spirits at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital. 

"Every day I make a joke for everyone in the morning," he told FOX 13. 

One day in January, Galaz wasn’t acting like himself. 

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"I feel so weak, so dizzy. I want to sleep, I want to take rest. I don’t want to talk to nobody," he said. 

Pictured: Luis Galaz and Kristy Santiago. 

His boss, Kristy Santiago, the food service director, realized something was wrong. 

"When he came into the office, we are all trained on the ‘BE FAST’, and I kind of heard his voice before I even saw him, I immediately realized, oh my God, I think he’s having a stroke," Santiago explained. 

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Then she noticed his face drooping and immediately rushed him to the emergency room. 

"They just whisked him away. It was like harmony how quick they took care of him," she said. 

Galaz, 66, was having a stroke. 

Exterior of emergency room. 

Neurologist Dr. Julio Cantero  began Galaz’s treatment. 

"We call it the brain time. Meaning you lose time you lose brain so you need to take it as soon as possible because there are treatments that need to be done right away so every second we lose more nerves," said Dr. Cantero. 

Dr. Cantero says the acronym ‘BE FAST’ should be known by all. 

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"We have an acronym we call it BE FAST. We ask to check for balance, have to check eyes are not crooked, we have to check the face is not crooked and drooping. We have to check for speech. We have to check for weakness in the arms and legs and the last one is come as soon as possible to the ER," he said. 

Because of how quickly Galaz’s co-workers recognized the symptoms, he only spent a few days in the hospital as a patient. 

Doctors say Luis Galaz's boss helped save his life by recognizing the signs of stroke. 

"It’s amazing to see him back. It’s a success story. One for the hospital. Our ER team was amazing," Santiago shared. 

He went back to work a few weeks later. 

"I feel so lucky. I love my life and my director, because if she didn’t pay attention, it would have been different," Galaz said. 

Galaz plans to live every day to the fullest. 

"She gave me the second chance at life. That’s my miracle,’ Galaz said. 

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