Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to commend the Portland Stroke Support Group and its founder, Jayson Killick. Jayson, a 36-year-old man, had a stroke in 2010. Not only did he have the determination to come back to as good a health as he could after that stroke but he decided that he wanted to help all those others in the community who had suffered a stroke or who have to care for those people who suffered a stroke. Upon his recovery from a stroke he set up the Portland Stroke Support Group.

Currently, there are 17 members. They meet on a regular basis and discuss the issues which are relevant to those people who are either caring for or dealing with the long-term implications of having faced a stroke. Jayson and the group are doing wonderful work. They are doing outreach work. They are also engaging with people who are admitted to the local hospital with a stroke, ensuring that they are there to offer the support, advice and guidance that those people need.

It was with great honour last year that I accepted my first offer of becoming a patron of a local community group, the Portland Stroke Support Group. I was humbled to take up that position. I thank them for honouring me by making me a patron of a group which does such wonderful work.

In the remaining time available to me I would like to remind people of the signs of a stroke. This is done by performing the FAST test. To determine whether someone may or may not have had a stroke you, firstly, check their face. Has their mouth drooped? Next, you look at their arms. Can they lift both arms? Next, is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? Finally, time is critical. If you see any signs of these issues, you should immediately call triple 0. We should all keep the FAST test in the back of our minds because, unfortunately, you never know when or where strokes are going to occur.