We know their working environment has become more challenging amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but their dedication to the 27,400 people who will experience a stroke this year, never waivers. I was heartened to see survivors of stroke and their loved ones around Australia also share their gratitude during Stroke Week (August 2-8), embracing the "United By Stroke" theme. However, the reality is, we can have the best doctors, nurses and allied health professionals and the most advanced treatments for stroke, but time is still the critical factor. You must get to hospital quickly to access emergency stroke treatment. After a stroke, around 1.9 million brain cells die each minute. In most cases, the faster a stroke can be diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of a good recovery. Time saved equals brain saved. I encourage the community to keep spreading the F.A.S.T. acronym all year round. Knowing the F.A.S.T message and sharing it with your family and friends can be the first step in saving a life and avoiding ongoing disability.

The F.A.S.T message will help you recognise the most common signs of stroke: Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped? Arms - Can they lift both arms? Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? Time - Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call triple zero. A stroke can happen to anyone at any age and research tells us the number of working age people having strokes is increasing. These people are not just numbers, they are mums, dads, sons and daughters. They have jobs and families and plans for the future. Stroke is always a medical emergency. Think F.A.S.T. and act fast at the first sign of stroke.

In this age of restrictions, when you feel self-pity, and the need to have a whinge, look to those athletes who competed in the Tokyo Paralympics.

Look at their ecstatic, shining faces as they achieve seemingly-impossible physical tasks, and remind yourselves that our restrictions will end one day. Theirs won't.

Are they downhearted? No. As D'Artagnan said to the other Musketeers, "Courage, mes amis". Courage, my friends.

Barbara Cattunar, Wollongong

Royal Life Saving is asking all Australians with swimming pools to use the weeks before summer to check their pool fencing to protect young children from drowning.

In the past decade, more than half of all children aged 0-4 who drowned in Australia lost their lives in a backyard swimming pool. Children who drowned often gained access to the pool area through a fence or gate which had fallen into disrepair or a gate which had been deliberately propped open. We know families are under a lot of pressure with lockdowns in place in many parts of Australia.

The demands of constant supervision are exhausting. But close supervision is the best way to protect a child from drowning. Our research shows any distractions, such as using mobile phones or doing household chores, while children are near water increases their risk of drowning.

A pool fence in good repair can give you precious minutes when a determined toddler unexpectedly wanders off towards the pool. Almost 40 per cent of child drowning happens over the summer months which is why now is the time to get your backyard swimming pool prepared. Adults can access a free home pool safety checklist to make sure their pool area is safe and secure at www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/locations/water-safety-at-home