6-Week-Old Baby Suffered a Stroke — 16 Years Later She’s Warning About the Risk of Pediatric Strokes

NEED TO KNOW

• Lexi Frederick, 16, suffered a stroke when she was just 6 weeks old and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy

• Since then, she’s participated in pageants and used the stage as a platform to raise awareness about pediatric strokes and disabilities

• Pediatric strokes affect 1 in 4,000 newborns and 2,000 older children annually, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine

An Iowa teen is spreading awareness about pediatric strokes over a decade after her own experience.

Lexi Frederick, 16, suffered a stroke when she was just 6 weeks old. Her unexpected medical emergency —  which doctors still don’t know the cause of — eventually led to the diagnosis of cerebral palsy and epilepsy, according to KCCI.

Frederick has trouble doing everyday tasks, like tying her shoes, due to stiffness on the right side of her body.

“Sometimes, I feel like I am not as good as others because of the limitations that I have, but I adapt, and I just be myself,” she told KCCI.

Those limitations don’t stop her; she finds joy in being on stage, from participating in pageants to giving motivational speeches. The teen realized she could turn her passion for pageants into a platform, encouraging teens with disabilities and raising awareness about pediatric strokes.

“I just want to change the world, make it a better place for everyone, no matter where they come from, not matter what challenges they have,” she told the outlet. “I want everyone to know that even a small thing like a smile makes a difference in the world.”

Her work has also helped her become one of the nine finalists for the National Stroke Association’s Stroke Hero Award — the winner of which will be announced on May 1.

She told the outlet one of her life mottos is “Kids can have strokes too.”

Frederick explained that she wants everyone to be aware of pediatric strokes “so they can support and understand others.” She doesn’t want people to “avoid” those with the condition; instead, she wants them to “help them feel good about themselves.”

In 2025, Lexi’s mother, Kelli, told International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke that in the years after Lexi’s stroke, she had her share of “ups and downs,” but “her innate happy demeanor has brought learning and joy for many.”

“Lexi has been a pillar of hope and inspiration, advocating for pediatric stroke, sharing her story, and developing into a powerhouse of change and positivity,” Kelli said. “Lexi is someone who is not afraid to try, to share her passion, and to help others with encouragement, creating waves of change across the world. We are so proud of her!”

Pediatric strokes are a “rare condition affecting one in every 4,000 newborns and an additional 2,000 older children each year,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

When a newborn suffers from a stroke, they typically will have seizures, extreme sleepiness or altered mental status and the use of only one side of the body. Causes of pediatric strokes include congenital heart defects, blood vessel problems, blood clotting disorders, and sickle cell disease, per the research university.

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PEOPLE reached out to the Frederick family for comment.

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