It was 5 a.m. on a cold morning in February when Cris Gomes’ 4-year-old son climbed into bed and woke her up. Since she was awake, she decided to get up to nurse her 3-month-old baby. She picked him up out of his bassinet and propped him up on her right side. That’s when she knew something was wrong.

“All of a sudden I felt very tired all over my body, and I could not keep my eyes open,” said Gomes, a 35-year-old speech pathologist.

Gomes passed out and when she woke up, she didn’t know what happened. The baby was still in her arms and she was able to use her left arm to place him back in his bassinet. Her husband woke up around 6 a.m. and asked if she was OK. When she didn’t respond, he turned on the light.

“I took one look at her and knew right away she’d had a stroke,” Franciney Gomes said.

Cris Gomes couldn’t speak and the right side of her body was immobile. He called 911 and the ambulance rushed her to Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City, an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission. This special designation means the hospital has the most advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments and staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.