Stroke Month: Montreal man’s experience shows strokes can strike at any age
Posted June 3, 2025 8:58 pm.
Last Updated June 3, 2025 10:23 pm.
June is Stroke Month, and one young Montrealer wants you to know the warning signs.
Alberto Viloria was just 24 years old when he had a hemorrhagic stroke two days after reuniting with his father for the first time in nearly six years.
The Montreal man had travelled to Argentina to reconnect with his dad. What should have been a joyful visit turned life-changing when he suddenly woke up with symptoms of a stroke.
“I felt like one side of my face was numb. One of my arms was numb,” said Viloria.
At first, he brushed it off — until he tried to sip water and it spilled from his mouth.
“Then I knew something was wrong,” he said.
His parents rushed him to a nearby clinic, where a neurosurgeon confirmed he had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke caused by a rupture from an arteriovenous malformation — something he never knew he had.
Viloria’s experience is a powerful reminder that stroke can affect anyone, at any age.
Stroke is not just a disease of the elderly
Every year, more than 108,000 strokes occur in Canada, yet more than one-third of Canadians don’t know the most common signs. Seven in 10 aren’t aware of the risk factors for stroke and heart disease, according to Heart & Stroke.
Dr. Catherine Legault, a stroke neurologist at the McGill University Health Centre, says awareness is critical — especially in June, which is Stroke Month.
“Stroke is a very common disease. It’s a disease that affects patients of all ages, and it’s a preventable disease in a lot of cases,” said Dr. Legault.
She added that more young people are being affected by strokes than ever before, often due to underlying and sometimes undetected conditions.
“A stroke is caused by a blood vessel that’s blocked in the brain, or sometimes a blood vessel that explodes in the brain and causes an intracranial hemorrhage. These indeed do happen more in the older stroke patients because older patients can have, you know, more risk factors for having high blood pressure, diabetes, and things like that. But a lot of strokes are actually caused, for example, by an abnormal structure of the heart or what we call congenital heart disease.”
“If you’re experiencing a stroke symptom at a young age, it does not mean that a stroke is impossible. The stroke will present the same way in a young patient and in older patients. Indeed, young stroke patients are not a majority of the patients we see, but they can still have disabling stroke. And it is heartbreaking when we see these patients, you know, that did not realize they were having strokes and they present later. So it’s important, even for young patients, to be aware of the stroke symptoms.”
While stroke risk increases with age, Heart & Stroke notes that babies, children and young adults are also affected. In fact, one baby in Canada experiences a stroke every day — most often around the time of birth.
More than 10,000 Canadian children live with the lasting effects of stroke.
Recognizing a stroke: FAST saves lives
Dr. Legault says knowing the symptoms of a stroke — and acting fast — can save a life.
The most common warning signs of stroke can be quickly identified using the FAST acronym:
F – Face: Is it drooping on one side?
A – Arms: Can the person raise both arms, or is one weak?
S – Speech: Is speech slurred, confused, or hard to understand?
T – Time: Time to call 9-1-1 immediately.
“When you do present with the FAST symptoms—so face asymmetry, arm weakness, and speech difficulty—this is truly a medical emergency. And we recommend to the patients to call 911 and ask for help immediately,” said Dr. Legault.
There are also less common signs, including vision loss, severe dizziness or nausea, and sudden sensory changes. Dr. Legault urges people not to wait or “sleep it off.”
She adds that when people identify stroke symptoms in themselves, their family, or their community, it’s crucial to seek help immediately. She explained that some patients arrive at the emergency department hours or even days after symptoms begin, which often means missing the chance for effective treatment. She emphasized that time is critical in stroke care and that getting to the emergency department as quickly as possible can make all the difference.
Stroke and heart health are closely linked
Heart & Stroke highlights the strong connection between the brain and heart through the vascular system, which carries blood and oxygen throughout the body. Certain heart conditions — including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and congenital heart defects — can dramatically increase stroke risk.
Stroke can also raise the risk of cardiac arrest.
Prevention is possible
Dr. Legault emphasizes that many strokes can be prevented through lifestyle and medical management.
“Very often, strokes arrive out of the blue for most patients. It’s one of those diseases—just like a heart attack—that can happen suddenly from one day to the next. Unfortunately, many patients aren’t always aware that they have risk factors for stroke. But in our general population, the main thing we can do to lower the risk is to have an active lifestyle and be careful about nutrition. Especially important is managing the vascular risk factors that can lead to stroke.”
Heart & Stroke says up to 80 per cent of premature strokes and heart disease could be prevented with healthy habits and routine care. But the organization also recognizes that social and economic barriers can affect people’s ability to access preventative care.
More people are surviving — but challenges remain
Stroke is a leading cause of death and adult disability in Canada. However, survival rates are improving. Nearly one million Canadians are now living with the effects of stroke.
Dr. Legault credits public awareness campaigns like FAST and improved medical treatments, including clot-busting drugs and surgical interventions.
“In the last 20 years, stroke treatment possibilities have expanded a lot. It used to be that we would give patients a baby aspirin or a drip of blood thinner in the emergency room. Now, we can give clot-busting medication. We even have surgical procedures to remove blood clots in the brain. These treatments have fabulous outcomes—if we get the patient fast enough for stroke treatment,” she said.
She’s also seeing more families take action early.
“We see that spouses, family members, siblings, and co-workers are starting to perform these maneuvers right when symptoms occur, identifying stroke signs, and calling 911. I really do think this is making a massive difference in public awareness.”
Viloria’s life changed — but he survived
After being stabilized in Argentina, Viloria underwent brain surgery to remove the malformation that caused his stroke. He later had a second surgery to implant a prosthetic where part of his skull had been removed. His recovery took months.
“It happened at my most vulnerable moment — while going to bed after having just been having the time of my life,” he said.
“It made me not take for granted my body, specifically. I’m very thankful for my body, like what it endured at the moment, what it continued to endure afterwards, and not take life for granted every moment.”
He now takes anti-seizure medication and continues to monitor his health closely.
“You have to be careful. You have to learn how to know how to speak to your own body. How do you respond to certain things and learn how to identify things quickly,” Viloria expressed.
Viloria says raising awareness is vital — not just for older people, but for everyone.
“I think it’s not covered enough.”
“My message is: be careful, be aware, and learn to recognize the symptoms.”
He credits his recovery to early intervention, expert care, and the support of family and loved ones.
