One of our team members recently witnessed a terrifying scenario on a flight from Frankfurt to Jakarta, when their flight had to be diverted to Mumbai after
a young male passenger suddenly got seriously ill. When she told us the story, it led to a debate about what would be worse – getting seriously ill on a plane or waking up in a hospital in a country you don’t know, and that you never intended to visit.
A couple of years ago I was present at an event where a speaker advised the audience that anyone over the age of 60 who was deciding on a holiday destination should make very sure it was close to a comprehensive stroke center. This may be sound advice, but what if the difference in likely outcomes wasn’t determined primarily by the type of building or facilities that were available?
I am starting to realize that a more important predictor of good outcomes are the people who make sure that the best possible care is available inside the buildings.
Wouldn’t it be great, then, if we could create a community made up of these people – the strivers for excellence and drivers of change? Then instead of having to worry too much about the resources that they did or didn’t have, all we would have to do is support the change makers. And once they were well enough equipped, send them out to all the corners of the globe to be the safe hands for those patients who were experiencing the worst day of their lives.
This may sound a like some fictional narrative fit for a Dan Brown novel, but after you read the stories in this year's WSC edition of the Angels Journey you will realize that that is exactly what is happening in the world of stroke care. This community – your community, the Angels community – is now a community of more than 220,000 likeminded professionals with a single goal, which is to give stroke patients a second chance at life. What you will also realize is that this community is growing and expanding. And the good news for travelers as for locals is that the community is now spreading even to places that might not have made it onto our bucket lists if proximity to a fancy hospital influenced our choice.
From the shores of the Brahmaputra River in India to a small Malaysian town that can only be reached by boat. From an island in the Philippines to sunny South Africa, from Pakistan to Oman. Even in small countries like North Macedonia and in remote communities in Colombia you will find these champions from our community.
Our WSC Journey is filled with examples of how this community is making the whole world safe for stroke. And if you thought only doctors were riving the change, allow yourself to be inspired by the nurses and paramedics whose stories are also told here.
We have always referred to Angels not as a campaign or a project, but as a movement, because a movement is something that, as it gathers momentum, becomes unstoppable. Not even a full-scale war can stop a movement as is illustrated by our FAST Heroes team in Ukraine.
What drives our movement is the people who make up this amazing community. Selfless people who mentor those that are growing, and who stand together with a common purpose, as is beautifully illustrated in our section on this year’s South American mentorship program.
Traveler or not, please enjoy these stories and the encounters with people whose safe hands are spreading their care across the globe.
