A 28-year-old woman from Ireland has spoken out about how doctors used a selfie that she took just before collapsing to save her from a potentially life-threatening stroke.
Stephanie Farnan, from County Wexford, passed out after bleeding began on her brain on the morning of Friday 23 August.
Farnan was found unconscious by her father Frank after she was late to drop her son Oscar off with him before she headed to work.
The selfie she took just 14 minutes before she was discovered was then used by doctors to establish the time-frame surrounding the stroke, which allowed them to give her anti-clotting medication that can only be administered a short time after.
It was, therefore, incredibly lucky that she'd taken the selfie, and even more so that her brother Sean discovered it.
Stephanie told The Sun: "I was lucky in the way that it worked out.
"It was daytime so all the doctors were on duty in Wexford General Hospital and again in Beaumont Hospital after I was transferred there.
"I don't remember taking the picture or anything from that morning.
"I just remember getting up and getting a head-rush and the next thing I remember is waking up in ICU in Beaumont."
In the end, doctors believed that the stroke was caused by a reaction to a contraceptive patch, as well as a hole in her heart.
She will now have to undergo heart surgery and her mobility and vision are still affect, but she is working her way back to fitness.
Her young son has been a massive boost for her during this difficult recovery time. She continued: "He's pushing me on each day.
"If I didn't have that, I don't know where I'd be."
In reality, the signs that all wasn't well were there for a few days before the stroke, but Stephanie didn't notice them.
Now, she wants to raise as much awareness as possible in the hope that what happened to her can be avoided for someone else.
She added: "My vision in one eye was off for a day or two.
"I was putting it down to tiredness or not wearing my glasses enough.
"I didn't think it was the kind of thing to go to the doctor about."
She is not entitled to any sick pay at work and as therefore had to set up a GoFundMe page to cover her expenses now that she's off work for a while.
She's also arranging a fundraising event for World Stroke Day, from which the proceeds will go to Beaumont and Wexford General Hospital, where she was treated.
Despite her problems, she still thinks that her family endured worse than her. She said: "My mammy and the rest of the family was told I wasn't going to make it and to prepare for the worst.
"I'm not allowed out of anyone's sight now."
Featured Image Credit: Stephanie FarnanTopics: Science, Interesting, Health