MADISON, Wis. --
A man trained to save others is speaking out about his own life-changing experience.
Retired Madison firefighter Keith Lawler suffered stroke last November.
"I absolutely have no memory of that day at all," said Lawler. "I was completely paralyzed on my left side."
He didn't know it at the time, but the retired fire captain had suffered a stroke. Lawler's daughters, Therese and Kathy Lawler, remember the day well.
"He coughed," said Kathy Lawler. "It was a funning sounding cough. We said, 'Keith, are you OK?' And then he coughed again and slumped over."
Workers at the assisted living facility where Lawler was immediately called 911.
Less than 40 minutes later Lawler was at St. Mary's Hospital Stroke Center. Doctors said the quick turnaround saved his life, WISC-TV reported.
"Therapy depends on time," said Dr. Shawn O'Brien. "There is therapy we used on Capt. Lawler that can only be used within the first three hours of symptom onset."
"Because of the quick response of the people here and the fire department, it got me where I got the medicine that I needed," said a grateful Lawler.
Although Lawler began that day with a stroke, by the end he was able to move his shoulders, hips and fingers.
"Most stroke patients that we see don't qualify for the therapy because it's beyond the three hours," said O'Brien.
Lawler is thankful for the quick emergency response that allowed him to be treated in that three-hour window.
"They know I appreciate everything they did, and I want to say thanks," said Lawler. "You can't put it into words, but they know how I feel."
On a sad note, Lawler's wife passed away just a few weeks after he suffered the stroke. At her funeral, he said he wanted to show his family strength, which is why he walked and stood on his own the entire time, WISC-TV reported.
