7-year-old stroke survivor saved after dad spots warning signs

Indexed: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]7-year-old Gino Mueller was just looking for a summer of fun.

[00:00:04]>> [screaming] >> But one day at the pool last July, his dad Bo noticed something was wrong. As he walked into the pool, I noticed that he was staggering a little bit and I noticed that his face was drooping.

[00:00:16]And I said, "Gene, are you okay?" Bo, a dad of three boys, knew exactly what he was seeing. Gino was showing signs of a stroke. It was pretty scary for daddy.

[00:00:27]It was terrifying.

[00:00:29]I was thinking he's going to die. That's what was going through my head. I can touch that with like my left arm.

[00:00:35]But like I couldn't really touch him with like my right arm.

[00:00:39]Lifeguards called 911. Gino was flown to the Cleveland Clinic where emergency surgery was performed to remove a clot in Gino's brain. While stroke is rare in children, some kids are at higher risk, including Gino, who was born with a heart defect. He had his first pacemaker implanted when he was about 3 months old at the clinic. We thought we were well outside the window for this sort of occurrence. Luckily, Gino was able to get the treatment he needed because dad Bo knew the warning signs, which in kids and teens are the same as adults.

[00:01:10]Doctors say you need to be fast. If you notice a sudden loss of balance or dizziness, blurred or loss of vision in one or both eyes, one side of the face droops, weakness in an arm or leg, slurred speech, time is crucial. Call 911. Recognizing those symptoms is the most important in getting them early intervention because they can have a much better outcome with that. As for Gino, he's back in school and has no developmental delays thanks to his dad's quick thinking. I just feel very lucky and blessed how quickly we were able to get him the help he needed.

[00:01:49]Wow, what a story there. And when someone is having a stroke, doctors say every minute that goes untreated, there is damage that you cannot undo, and that's why you have to be fast. Remember that acronym, and that is the reason Gino is back in school today like nothing happened. So, the takeaway for all of us, you don't need to be a doctor to save a life. You just need to be aware. You need to be fast and act fast.

[00:02:10]And you could be 7 years old and have a stroke. We have to be aware of that.

[00:02:14]>> about that. I never would have thought that. Never would have thought that.

[00:02:16]Yeah. All right. Thank you so much for bringing it to us, Will.