Woman who suffered stroke thanks 'real-life hero' retail assistant

Ms Walshe, from Slane, Co Meath had been attributing dizzy spells to vertigo, not knowing that they were being caused by a bleed on the brain.

The dizziness was accompanied by nausea when she went for a cup of tea at Starbucks in Drogheda's Laurence Street Centre in Co Louth, a visit which effectively saved her life.

"I went for a cup of tea and felt sick but I thought I had picked up a vomiting bug from visiting my husband Joe in hospital," she said.

"I remember trying to ask a young girl at the counter where the toilet was but I couldn't get the words out and could only point at the door.

I got sick on myself and managed to get to the toilet where I was sick again. I remember a knock at the door and a voice asking if I was alright. It was Jonathan.

"I didn't think I had any symptoms of a stroke, just a weak feeling down my left leg but thankfully Jonathan noticed that something was wrong and called an ambulance for me.

"Doctors told me he saved my life."

Jonathan has played down his heroic actions, saying anyone else would have done the same.

"I saw her slumped in the chair and noticed she had been a little bit sick so I asked her if she was ok and if she wanted to use the toilet," he said.

He advised her to use the emergency chord if necessary.

"I saw she hadn't returned ten minutes later so I went to check on her and help her back to the chair.

She was slurring her words and I asked her to look at me when I noticed she seemed to have tunnel vision. It was when I asked her to smile, that I knew something was wrong. Half her face was drooped.

"I asked my manager to ring for an ambulance. I hoped I was wrong but if not, I didn't want anything to happen to her on my watch. I would've even paid for the ambulance myself.

"It's basic human nature to look out for others and all this attention is a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

"I learned that if you notice signs of a stroke and can get help early, then you can save that person's life.

"It has shown that it should be acceptable to ask people if they are ok. Sometimes when you ask someone if they are ok, you get a cutting reply of why shouldn't I be ok, but in this instance, it was the right thing to do - just to ask."

Marion, who spent five weeks recovering in hospital, has publicly thanked Jonathan and has even had a t-shirt made with the words 'you are my hero'.

"He is my hero and I want to say thank you for all he did. He's a shining example for others for caring.

"He's so honest, he even got his colleague to put the money I paid for the tea back into my pocket when I was leaving in the ambulance."

"There should be more Jonathans in the world."