Doug E. Fresh Participates in Stroke Awareness Program

A recent medical study found hip-hop music to be an extremely effective way to teach children stroke awareness. The program, led by Dr. Olajide Williams of Harlem Hospital, used a music video featuring legendary rapper Doug E. Fresh to teach 400 young participants to recognize the warning signs of a stroke. According to WebMD.com, the rapper wrote an interactive song called “Brain Attack,” during which he would shout out a line and the kids had to shout it back. Stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is compromised — such as with a blood clot or bleeding in the brain, and is the leading cause of adult disability in America and third leading cause of death. Upon completion of the program, the percentage of children tested who knew two or more ways to prevent a stroke jumped from 37 to 76. Additionally, the number of children who could identify two or more warning signs of a stroke rose from 28% to 60%.