Prince Quire’s Story

Prince Quire, a 39-year-old African-American man, was headed to work on what he thought was a typical day. His normal routine was to exercise before going to work, and that day was no exception. After doing cardio, Prince went to play basketball with friends when, all of a sudden, he felt dizzy. He grabbed the wall to try to regain his balance. His friends asked him to lift his left hand, but he couldn’t.

Prince’s friends recognized the signs of stroke and immediately called 9-1-1. When the emergency response team arrived, they airlifted Prince to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where doctors provided immediate life-saving treatment to remove the clot in Prince’s brain.

Before his stroke, Prince said, he didn’t like going to the doctor and hadn’t had regular checkups. Because of that, he didn’t know that he had uncontrolled high blood pressure—a leading risk factor for stroke. Today, Prince keeps a log of his blood pressure measurements to make sure his blood pressure stays under control.

Prince has also changed his habits. “Prior to my stroke, I didn’t eat a lot of fruits and vegetables at all,” he says. Now he says he’s committed to eating more healthfully and staying physically active every day, for life.

Prince says his family has helped encourage him on his path to a healthier life. Now his biggest motivations are being a good example for his four kids and staying healthy so he can see them grow up.

Prince wants to remind others to know their risk for stroke, starting with getting a checkup. “Please, please, please go to the doctor,” he says. “Get yourself checked first…. If you have to go on a medication, do it.”

Prince also encourages people to start making small changes now. “Start with your diet first,” he says, “and then just gradually start walking, start getting exercise.”

Over time, small changes can add up to the difference between not having a stroke and having one.