EUR 25,000 is the amount TDK Electronics and TDK Europe have donated for Christmas this year in support of Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe, a German foundation to help prevent strokes and improve care for sufferers. The money will be used in the diagnosis and treatment of strokes in children at Germany's first Pediatric Stroke Center at the Dr. von Haunersche children's hospital run by the LMU University in Munich. The center was set up with the aid of the foundation and provides round-the-clock care to young patients.
A stroke is a sudden disruption to the flow of blood in the brain and can damage the central nervous system. In many cases, strokes result in moderate to serious disabilities. While half of all stroke patients are over the age of 75, younger people and children too can be affected.
Older people often suffer strokes due to high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, being overweight or a lack of exercise. Among children, however, the causes are "more complicated, more varied and more difficult to identify", says Dr. Lucia Gerstl, senior consultant at the LMU's Dr. von Haunersche children's hospital and senior physician at the Pediatric Stroke Center. Infections, vascular changes, coagulation disorders and/or congenital heart defects are often part of the issue.