Community stories

Doing something for the first time often takes an enormous amount of courage. Jan van der Merwe introduces seven stories of courage from the December edition of The Angels Journey.

Our Angel-in-chief is hanging up his wings and retiring from a career dedicated to giving people a second chance at life. Jan van der Merwe pays tribute to his “partner in crime” and the wit and wisdom of the legendary Thomas Fischer.

EMS professionals from seven countries in Europe earned ASLS certification after completing practical training in Budapest in September. Their trainers included alumni from the class of 2019 who were the first group of ASLS-certified paramedics in Europe. This intervention in prehospital stroke care is already saving lives.

Novi Ligure Hospital in northern Italy went from under-performer to diamond hospital in just eight months, the result of teamwork across disciplines, positive leadership and a game- changing simulation.

Despite missiles laying waste to large parts of Ukraine’s major cities, early data suggests that more patients will receive treatment for acute stroke in 2022 than in 2021. The reasons for this include the temporary migration of skills to previously underserved regions, the extraordinary courage of Ukrainians, the power of community, and an Angels team that just won’t quit.

Doctors and nurses in Portugal are going back to the classroom, lending their support and professional standing to the FAST Heroes campaign.