Carmichael students mourn loss of classmate

Students and staff at Carmicheal Middle School were shocked by the news earlier this week that a 7th grader student from the school had suffered from a stroke and died on December 19th. According to a letter to parents, the boy had a type of stroke called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

Dr. Sarah Atwal from the Kadlec Neuroscience Center in Richland says it's very rare for a child so young to experience a stroke, and it usually only happens as the result of a heart defect or other underlying health issue. She says there are signs parents can look for.

"If they start having symptoms like light-headedness, chest pain, they could be compaining of their heart beating fast," Dr. Atwal said. "Symptoms like that could be suggestive of an underlying heart problem."

She says if your child experiences any of those symptoms, talk to their pediatrician about having tests done to rule out possible heart defects.

Dr. Atlwal says for adults, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are indicators that you may have a higher risk of experiencing a stroke.

"The numbers for stroke have actually declined for those age 55 and older, but it has more than doubled in the age of 30 to I believe 35," she said.

Dr. Atwal says like many health ailments, a plant-based diet and plenty of exercise are an adult's best weapons for defense against a stroke.