Mega Doctor News
Stroke, a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or disrupted, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. Considered a serious medical emergency, it requires rapid medical attention to reduce its impact.
Without swift intervention, brain cells can begin to die within minutes, often with severe consequences.
During an ischemic stroke – the most common type of stroke – the average patient loses about 1.9 million neuronseach minute that a stroke goes untreated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brain cells that die during a stroke are generally considered irreversibly damaged, making prehospital identification of stroke a crucial step in ensuring rapid and appropriate medical treatment.
Throughout the Rio Grande Valley, the staff at South Texas Health System McAllen’s Comprehensive Stroke Center collaborate closely with local paramedics to offer in-the-field assistance with stroke-related cases and mobilize the stroke team at the facility to ensure rapid triage, evaluation and treatment.
The goal: to provide swift life- and brain-saving treatment to stroke patients, including intravenous medications within the “golden hour,” the window in which treatments are most likely to help patients survive a stroke and circumvent debilitating, lasting neurological damage.
During the city council meeting on Monday, May 12, 2025, at Mission City Hall, South Texas Health Systemofficially recognized firefighter/paramedic Erick Valdiviez and firefighter/advanced EMT David Gonzalez, Jr., both of whom work for Mission Fire/EMS, with its Hometown Heroes award during a surprise presentation for their swift response in helping save a stroke patient’s life in December 2024.
Responding to a 9-1-1 call in the early morning of Friday, December 13, 2024, Valdiviez and Gonzalez arrived to find a 66-year-old man unable to move one side of his body, a common stroke symptom. The pair worked quickly toassess the patient and provide initial treatment before transferring him to STHS McAllen’s Comprehensive Stroke Center within an hour of the onset of symptoms.
At the hospital, the patient was able to receive thrombolytic therapy in time to help dissolve the clot causing the stroke before being rushed to the interventional radiology lab, where he underwent a successful mechanical thrombectomy.
Following the procedure, the patient was moved to the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, where he receivedphysical, occupational and speech therapy. The patient was discharged a few weeks after meeting all goals set by STHS McAllen’s rehabilitation team. Able to make speedy recovery with minimal deficits, he was able to return to work and his family promptly.
“When it comes to stroke care, time is brain. As evidenced by this case, prompt identification of symptoms and treatment can make a world of difference in limiting brain damage and preserving quality of life,” says Veronica Olivarez, Director of Neuroscience, BSN, RN, South Texas Health System Neurosciences & Stroke Institute. “Because of the quick response of Erick Valdiviez and David Gonzalez, the patient was able to get to STHS McAllen in a timely manner to receive complete stroke care. As a Level I Comprehensive Stroke Center, our mission is to provide the highest level of stroke care in the four-county region, and our partnerships with local emergency medical services providers are vital to accomplish that. Kudos to Erick and David for their rapid response.”
Valdiviez, a Brownsville native who has worked with Mission Fire/EMS for nearly two years, is deeply honored to be recognized for his work.
“It’s the first time I’ve been recognized for my work as a paramedic,” says Valdiviez. “I have seen photos of other EMS providers that STHS has honored with its Hometown Heroes award in the past, and I always strived to work swiftly to provide emergency care to patients that may one day earn me the same recognition. We don’t really get to see a patient after we’ve dropped them off at the hospital, so to know I had a hand in not only saving his life buthelping ensure his quality of life wasn’t impacted feels amazing.”
Gonzalez, a Pharr native who has also worked with Mission Fire/EMS for nearly a year and a half, concurs.
“It feels great knowing we made a big difference in that patient’s life,” says Gonzalez, who vividly remembers the call, which happened to be his first-ever shift with Erick. “Getting that call early in the morning, recognizing right away that the patient was experiencing a stroke and needed immediate treatment and getting him to the hospital quickly, it was just so quick. And it didn’t really sink in how fast we were able to get him to STHS McAllen until later. I didn’t get into this line of work for the recognition, but being honored really feels special.”
The American Heart Association recommends administering thrombolytic therapy within 60 minutes of the first signs of stroke. From initial on-the-scene contact with the patient to turning him over to the emergency room staff at STHS McAllen for treatment, only 30 minutes elapsed, a feat by Valdiviez and Gonzalez that thoroughly impressed their unit’s leader, Mission Fire/EMS Chief Michael Silva .
“It’s an exceedingly difficult task to achieve, but Erick and David managed to accomplish it due to their extensive training and unwavering dedication to positive patient outcomes. We couldn’t have asked for a better result; it’s truly an exciting day for Mission Fire/EMS,” says Silva. “While our whole crew has been nothing short of phenomenal as a unit, these gentlemen – in their brief time on the team – have been phenomenal. I can just see more well-deserved honors for them in the future. The residents of Mission expect us to provide quality service, and as demonstrated by Erick and David, that’s exactly what we’re doing today with the support of our mayor and city council members.”
If you’d like to nominate a first responder for their outstanding service – whether a firefighter, police officer, emergency medical technician or Border Patrol agent — to receive South Texas Health System’s Hometown Heroes award, visit https://www.southtexashealthsystem.com/hometown-heroes-award/nomination-form to complete and submit the online nomination form.
