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A “Selfie” Saved a Woman’s Life

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Jun 19, 2014 03:47 PM EDT

When people hear the word "selfie," they might imagine people happily documenting themselves. For one particular women, however, her selfie was life saving. According to Stacey Yepes, a 49-year-old from the Toronto area of Canada, she felt sensations on her face for the third time in three days and instead of ignoring them, she took a video selfie. The video clip revealed that Yepes was suffering from a mini stroke.

"The sensation is happening again," Yepes stated in the video according to CNN . "It's all tingling on left side. I don't know why this is happening to me."

During the third stroke, Yepes had pulled over while driving and started videotaping her face. She showed the video to doctors at Toronto Western Hospital on the following day. Based from the symptoms, the doctors were able to quickly and accurately diagnose her with transient ischemic attacks, also known as mini strokes, which are caused by plaque buildup in the arteries.

Prior to the video, Yepes had gone to her local hospital's emergency department complaining about numbness in her face as well as slurred speech. The doctors conducted stroke tests and found that they were all negative. They concluded that her symptoms were caused by stress and offered Yepes breathing tips.

Yepes has since been prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood thinners. According to Yepes, she has not suffered from another attack. Despite the fact that Yepes' video came in handy, health experts stress the importance of calling 911 for medical attention.

"It's the same thing for everyone. If you're having a stroke, think you're having a stroke or see someone having one -- just call 911." Dr. Markku Kaste from the World Health Organization (WHO), said. "Don't waste time on a video, just call 911."

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