Aug. 12, 2022 | Freddie Tate, 85, of Piggott, worked around helicopters during his time in the U.S. Air Force, but it wasn’t until March 5, 2021, when he suffered a stroke, that he rode in one for the first time.

“I spent four years in the Air Force and we had all kinds of helicopters, but I’d never been on a helicopter ride before,” Tate said.

That day Tate, a father of four, woke from a nap and knew something was wrong. As a former assistant plant manager of a large factory, he was required to take a course in emergency first aid. Thanks to that course, he learned the signs of stroke: weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking or seeing, movement problems and loss of balance.

“From that [course], I knew when I had the stroke,” Tate said. “I got up, and I put my foot on the floor, and it wouldn’t hold up. Then I felt funny, and I put my hand [on the left side of my face], and I’m all [droopy] on the side of my head. I told my wife, ‘I’m having a stroke, we’ve got to call a doctor.’”

Read more about Mr. Tate’s incredible story by following the link here!