Morgan Fairchild raising stroke awareness

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Morgan Fairchild, whose mother suffered a series of strokes before she died, is campaigning to raise awareness about warning signs of stroke.

Fairchild, who is featured in the "Give Me 5: Walk, Talk, Reach, See, Feel" campaign, is emphasizing the importance of getting to the emergency room quickly once symptoms present themselves. The campaign is a collaboration among the American Academy of Neurology, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Stroke Association.

Fairchild was a caregiver for her mother, who died in 1999.

"I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of stroke on my mother," Fairchild said in a statement. "Stroke is a killer, but for too many people it doesn't need to be. If you know the warning signs and get medical help right away, you have an excellent chance of making a good recovery."

The phrase "Give Me 5" refers to the series of questions one can ask when assessing if someone might be having a stroke: Is one's balance off? Is speech slurred or the face drooping? Is one side weak or numb? Is there any loss of vision? Is there a severe headache?