A super-fit father-of-four said he is lucky to be alive after he turned his head "too quickly", suffering three strokes and severing an artery in his neck.
Joel Hentrich, 35, was playing pickleball with some friends when he turned his head and felt a popping sensation in the back of his neck.
He said his vision immediately became blurry before he had vertigo, began projectile vomiting, and felt a tingling in his face, hand, and leg.
He was rushed to a hospital where he had various scans and doctors found he had internally severed his left vertebral artery, so he was sent to intensive care.
The operating room nurse was stunned to discover that it triggered three strokes in his lower cerebellum, the part of the brain primarily responsible for muscle control, including balance and movement.
Footage captured in the hospital reveals the "special" moment Joel stood up to walk for the first time after the freak accident, as until that point he was unsure whether he would be left with any physical deficits.
After the horrifying experience, Joel is now keen to raise awareness of the symptoms of strokes and the importance of getting medical care within a specific time, to prevent irreversible damage.
Joel, of Festus, Missouri, said: "Turning my head really quickly was something that I've done a million times.
"It was all kind of a whirlwind. The doctor told me that I'd suffered three strokes in my lower cerebellum, the bottom part of your brain responsible for coordination and movement.
"As a 35-year-old healthy guy, those are words that you just never expect to hear.
"It hit me like a tonne of bricks - you don't think that these things will actually happen to you.
"I was in complete shock and disbelief. But eventually how significant and serious this accident was for me started sinking in.
"I'm extremely lucky that I got treatment in the time that I did because I don't have any lasting physical deficits."
The passionate pickleball player took up the outdoor racket sport, which is similar to tennis but with smaller paddles, a few years ago and played multiple times a week.
Joel said that the week prior to his accident, he felt like he had a pinched nerve in his neck or that he'd slept awkwardly on it, but thought the sensation would go away.
Joel said: "I went out there that day and was just playing a regular game, nothing strenuous. I was just having fun and just turned my head quickly to the left to try and track a ball.
"I felt a pop in the back of my neck. I wasn't sure if anyone else could hear it but internally I could.
"Immediately my vision changed and I had the worst vertigo I've ever experienced in my life. About two minutes after it happened I was having to be helped over to the bench with support because I couldn't stand on my own at all.
"The ground went out from underneath me and I ended up with extreme nausea and I was projectile vomiting. There was tingling on the left side of my face, hand and part of my leg.
"My world was spinning, literally and figuratively but I trusted my instincts as all the different signs together pointed to something pretty serious."
Joel was driven the hospital and initially saw a nurse who advised him to wait in the waiting room, where 50-60 people were to be seen before him.
Luckily, he spoke to another nurse who immediately activated their protocol for those suspected to have had a stroke and was taken for a CT scan 20 minutes later.
He was then sent to intensive care and had an MRI later on that day.
Joel said: "When he said those words [that his artery had been dissected], I just looked at him and didn't believe it at first.
"I heard the words and logically understood what he said but you just don't think that something that serious will happen to you, until it does.
"I was in the hospital and didn't even know if I could walk.
"They said they wanted to see me walk to the bathroom. I felt a little dizzy walking but that's to be expected as I'd been laying in bed for two days.
"It was just such a wonderful feeling because I didn't really know until that point in time what the outcome was truly going to be.
"It was a special moment to be able to get up and realise that I could still walk, balance and live my life how I did before this."
The doting dad was discharged 12 hours later after being hospitalised for two days.
Joel was several weeks away from qualifying for short term disability funding.
After encouragement from a pickleball friend, he set up a GoFundMe page to help provide him with financial support during his recovery, given he is the full provider for his four young children.
You can donate here.
