In November 2022, Emma Vulin was elected by the people of Pakenham to be their representative in Victorian Parliament, winning the newly created seat for the Australian Labor Party. A proud local and mother of two young teens, Emma describes herself as passionate about her community and an active volunteer. Ahead of National Stroke week, Ms Vulin rose to her feet in Parliament to share why this cause was so important to herself, her family and her friends.
She is a stroke survivor.
Stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain either suddenly becomes blocked (ischaemic stroke) or ruptures and begins to bleed (haemorrhagic stroke).
Either may result in part of the brain dying, leading to impairment that can affect a range of activities such as speaking, thinking, movement and communication. Stroke is often fatal.
Reporting from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that in 2020, there were an estimated 39,500 stroke events in Australia—more than 100 every day.
At the age of 36, Ms Vulin became one of those statistics.
“When I woke up on that Saturday morning, my body felt numb,” Ms Vulin said. “Firstly, I assumed that I had pins and needles from sleeping awkwardly.”
“When I tried to stand up, I fell to the ground.”
“Panic set in.”
Ms Vulin was at home with her two children, then aged seven and nine. While she knew something was very wrong, she wasn’t sure what it was.
“When I realised I couldn’t walk, I dragged myself to the top of the stairs trying to call out to my children who were sleeping downstairs. My words weren’t coming out well at all.”
“To be honest, I didn’t put two and two together and think I’ve had a stroke. It took about 15 minutes for my 9 year old daughter to call an ambulance. I didn’t want to make a fuss and couldn’t put together a sentence that was understandable. The ambulance came and took me to Casey hospital.”
In 2020-21, there were 67,900 hospitalisations in Australia where stroke was recorded as the principal diagnosis – a rate of 265 per 100,000 population.
Waiting for news of her diagnosis, multiple thoughts ran through Emma’s mind.
“I was vomiting and still unable to walk or speak properly. It was a scary day and the thoughts and questions crossing my mind was – how am I going to be able to be a good mother? is this serious? is this permanent?,” she said.
Once the diagnosis was confirmed, thoughts quickly moved to rehabilitation and the long pathway back.
“Rehabilitation started from day two and continued for about 8 months of intensive therapy from a range of allied health professionals,” she said.
“Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and not least of all a psychologist who maintained my mental health when the world felt wrong.
“The hardest part was in occupational therapy and trying to pick up small grains of rice one by one. This was exhausting both mentally and physically or trying to squeeze open a clothes peg. I couldn’t even cut my food.”
For all this work, Emma is mindful that life will not return to the way it was.
“I know that I will never be the same as I was pre-stroke but I am also aware that I have come a very long way. It is a journey and one that can be a positive one once the mindset changes. You learn to not take life or anyone in it for granted. That is a gift that I have been given.”
Now nearly a year into life as an MP, she continues to use her platform to advocate for the community she loves, as well as learn and grow as a stroke survivor.
For many MP’s, their maiden speech is a moment they have been eagerly awaiting and dreading in equal measure. A moment in time where the eyes of Parliament are squarely on you and you alone as you outline what brought you to this place, outline your enshrined principles that will guide you and what you hope to achieve as a parliamentarian.
For Emma, the anxious anticipation was even more palpable.
“Being elected as the Member for Pakenham in the November 2022 election has been a real honour but there was no denying that I was nervous,” she said.
“I have always been self conscious of my speech since my stroke and knowing I had to get through my inaugural speech in December in a chamber full of very well spoken people did scare me.”
“I managed to get through, I wasn’t perfect, but each and every day I am growing. I am trying my best to show others what they can achieve despite being a stroke victim and owning that I can only do my best.”
As she continues to adapt to life as an MP, she is beginning to take on a more active role in advocacy. As the co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of the Stroke Foundation, she says she is very eager to educate other members of the parliament about the real struggles that people face who have experienced not only a debilitating stroke, but people who have experienced any life altering and unexpected events.
When asked about what her Government is doing to support stroke victims, Ms Vulin points to the introduction of a mobile stroke unit in 2017.
The Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) is a fully-equipped, custom-built specialist Ambulance Victoria vehicle that comes equipped with a built-in CT scanner and carries acute stroke specialists. The unit has the ability to perform hospital-grade brain scans in a pre-hospital or community-based setting. The MSU team consists of two paramedics (including a MICA paramedic), a CT radiographer, a stroke neurologist and a stroke nurse specialist.
Based out of Royal Melbourne Hospital, the service has provided rapid support for stroke patients. In it’s first two years of operation, the service was dispatched on average around six times a day, gave 478 patients CT scans, gave 108 patients clot dissolving medication for thrombolysis and ensured 1 in 7 thrombolysed patients were treated within 60 minutes of stroke onset.
The service is soon to be expanded with a second mobile stroke unit to be established in Melbourne’s southeast through a $12 million Victorian Budget allocation.
Above all else, Ms Vulin wants people to be aware of the signs of stroke, so they can act FAST.
The FAST test for stroke was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1998. In Australia, the test is simplified into the below acronyms
F – Face: is their face drooping
A – Arms: can they lift both arms
S – Speech: is their speech slurred, can they understand you
T – Time: time is critical call 000 immediately
“Awareness of the signs of stroke is crucial if you ever experience or notice a change of a family member, friend or colleague,” Ms Vulin said. “It is so important to call 000 straight away to ensure they have the best possibility of recovery and the best medical assistance available.”
In a final reflection of her journey through stroke, Ms Vulin can be said to be one thing, thankful.
“I would like to thank many people who helped me along the way, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, medical professionals. It takes a village to rise up and I sincerely thank you all.”
More information on stroke can be found at https://strokefoundation.org.au/
You can view Ms Vulin’s speech to the Victorian Parliament.
