DeKALB – As women sauntered past her table at Kishwaukee Community Hospital on Friday, Laura Miley encouraged them to think FAST.

FAST, an acronym that helps stroke victims identify their symptoms and know when to seek medical help, is a test Miley said can help save lives. The acronym stands for Face, Arms, Speech and Time. If the face is drooping on one side, the arms are drifting downward when raised and speech is slurred, then time is critical, Miley said.

An emergency room nurse at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, Miley said strokes kill twice as many women each year as breast cancer.