Woman thought car was broken - but what she saw in rear-view mirror made her call 999

A woman who initially thought she had car problems was forced to call 999 after suffering from a stroke . Kirsty Woodhouse, 35, thought she was breaking down while she was driving to work in April 2024. But her life would change forever when she realised she'd lost sensation in her right foot and noticed her face "drooping" in the car mirror.

Somehow, she managed to call for an ambulance and was taken to Whiston Hospital in Warrington, . Her partner, Mark, 39, a local councillor, rushed to support her as she underwent , during which they found out she was four weeks pregnant with their third child.

Doctors informed Kirsty that the urgent scans and treatment could potentially lead to a miscarriage, but she felt she had "no choice" but to go ahead. Against all odds, Kirsty's mobility improved and at 12 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound confirmed that her baby girl had a "healthy heartbeat", reports .

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Their daughter, Grace, arrived on December 18, 2024, at Whiston Hospital - weighing 8lb 2oz - joining her siblings, Ryan, 16, and Conor, seven. Kirsty, an independent advocate for a charity, from Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, said: "I was active and healthy before.

"It came out of nowhere with no prior warning. The symptoms struck suddenly while driving - losing feeling and slurred words. Doctors warned me the treatment and scans could cause a miscarriage.

"I felt like I was choosing between myself and my baby. But Grace is here and she's amazing. She came just before - it was a lovely way to end a difficult year."

Kirsty had just dropped her two eldest children off at school in April 2024 when she couldn't feel her foot pressing the pedal and noticed the right side of her face "drooping" in the rear view mirror.

"I thought something was wrong with the car," she said. "But I realised the "revving" sounds was my foot pressing the pedal and I couldn't feel it. I knew it was a stroke but I could barely get my words out when I called 999."

Paramedics rushed her to Whiston Hospital, where Kirsty's symptoms - including one side paralysis and slurred words - were "on and off" for hours. It was later determined she was experiencing transient ischemic attacks (TIA) - also known as "mini strokes".

Medics had to perform a CT scan to determine the cause and asked whether she was pregnant. Kirsty and Mark had been trying to conceive a third child, and a test confirmed she was four weeks along.

She said: "I had to call Mark and tell him I'd had a stroke and I was pregnant. We wanted to be happy but it wasn't good news. I was high-risk of a miscarriage due to the scans and medication. I had no choice - we just did what we hoped was best."

After an overnight stay, Kirsty was being discharged but started feeling "clammy" - suffering a "full blown" stroke as she was packing to leave. She lost all feeling in her right side, and it took 48 hours to regain movement in her toes.

While undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, Kirsty and Mark met with a specialist to discuss her .

She said: "We were given the option to terminate the pregnancy. I was told I could miscarry, or the baby could end up with disabilities. But we said 'absolutely not' - it didn't matter to us."

Kirsty was discharged two weeks later and had a routine 12-week baby scan in June 2024. To their delight, their baby had a "healthy heartbeat" and she was closely monitored throughout the pregnancy.

Kirsty's daughter, Grace, arrived naturally at 38 weeks five days in December 2024 and was "perfectly healthy". Kirsty added: "The birth was scary as I couldn't take my medication, so the thought of another stroke was in the back of my mind. But she arrived safely - she was perfect."

Kirsty is really hoping to raise awareness around the signs and symptoms, which can strike at "any age". She said: "I really want to warn people of the signs like losing feeling in one side of your body, your face dropping and slurring your words.

"It all happened so quickly for me – you need to act fast if you have symptoms. I'm still very nervous to drive with the kids in the car, but I'm gaining confidence. I count myself very lucky."