Dee-1 and Tha Hip Hop Doc release new song for World Stroke Day with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
DALLAS, Oct. 28, 2015 – Hip Hop Artist Dee-1 thought his family was beating the odds when it came to stroke. He was wrong.
Dee-1 dug into his own family history when he was approached by Tha Hip Hop Doc Rani Whitfield, M.D., to collaborate on a song and music video supporting the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's World Stroke Day campaign. Dee-1 agreed to help because he knew stroke was prevalent in the community and among African Americans in particular, but didn't know it would hit so close to home.
"Once I learned my aunt passed away from stroke, I thought of this project in a whole different light," said the former teacher from New Orleans who is one of hip hop's rising stars. "I'm one of the people who needs to be aware of the stroke warning signs. It's already happened to someone in my family and you just never know."
In addition to supporting World Stroke Day, recognized on Oct. 29, the "F.A.S.T. Song" is part of the American Stroke Association's ongoing stroke warning signs campaign promoting the acronym F.A.S.T. If someone spots (F)ace drooping, (A)rm weakness, or (S)peech difficulty, it's (T)ime to call 911.
Stroke is the No. 5 leading cause of death in the U.S. – No. 2 in the world – but one in three Americans can't name any stroke signs, according to American Stroke Association studies.
"People generally know that stroke is serious and that strokes kill, but they don't know how to address the warning signs when they occur," said Whitfield, a family practitioner in Baton Rouge, La., and American Stroke Association volunteer. "I have patients who took a nap when their stroke symptoms came on, hoping that whatever was happening would go away. That's the wrong thing to do."
Doctors have effective therapies to treat stroke, but there is a short window for the patient to be evaluated at a hospital and receive treatment like a clot-busting drug or ...
