He was a frail elderly gentleman out for a free breakfast of sausage and pancakes at one of the many locations offering this morning treat as a celebration of Edmonton’s Klondike Days festival held annually in July. He was probably quite unaware of the life threatening event that was about to occur.

Also attending that pancake breakfast was me, Lauren Slade, newly arrived from England and eagerly anticipating the great Canadian outdoor experience. The event was being held in a car park on top of a mall in South Edmonton. I joined a long line up to collect my coffee…pancakes and sausages and then tried to find somewhere to sit. It was at this point when I surveyed the car park that I realised I was joining approximately one thousand other diners. Seating was understandably hard to find. I eventually squeezed myself onto a bench at the farthest end of the car park.

I was eating my (by now cold) pancake when I was joined by a frail looking elderly gentleman. He sat down and made light conversation with me. As I was listening, he started slurring his speech, and I at first thought that he had been drinking. Then I realised with a start that only one side of his face was speaking and the other side was collapsing with great speed. It suddenly occurred to me that he was having a stroke right now. I immediately stood up and screamed for someone to get medical help, but with there being so many people around it was nearly impossible to get help as quickly as this gentleman needed it.

Being a Hand and Foot Reflexologist for many years, I instantly grabbed his hand and started working the reflexes for the part of his body that I could see was being effected by the stroke (Trying to get socks and shoes off to work foot reflexes simply was not an option). I worked both hands with the type of pressure that I did not think I had in me. I kept talking to him, telling him that everything would be OK, and that help was on it’s way. It seemed like hours, but it was probably only 3 or 4 minutes before medical aid arrived and he was immediately transported to hospital.

What happened? Well I telephoned the hospital and was told that he was alright, and that he was very lucky to have had only a mild stroke!

So was the reflexology that had been performed on his hands literally only moments after the episode started responsible for saving his life? Or was the stoke mild like the hospital said? I shall never know, but I am sure that it was not coincidence that we were seated together on that cold Saturday morning in July.