S.T.R.A.P. the Stroke wins Rep. Max Miller’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Ohio’s Seventh District

When asked what inspired the creation of S.T.R.A.P. the Stroke, Nandita Srikumar said, “Every single year, nearly 1 in 4 individuals globally will have a stroke in their lifetime. Today, over 94 million individuals worldwide are left with the lasting impacts of stroke. Yet millions of these cases can be prevented and treated early if individuals were to recognize the warning signs on time.

“This prompted my curiosity: What could I do to help the stroke community? I came to understand the gap within my community. Currently, most public health advocacy is targeted towards adults, and very minimal programs focus on empowering kids. Furthermore, I realized that often kids, who are the next generation in creating change, are present when other individuals have strokes. However, they are often unaware of how exactly to help. This led me to create the app S.T.R.A.P. The Stroke, which focused on educating kids about stroke symptoms. This app truly has the potential to save lives by empowering one kid at a time with health education.

“Additionally, most medical information online can be confusing for younger children and can easily intimidate kids. I sought to change that by developing S.T.R.A.P. The Stroke. By using interactive games, fun displays, easy-to-remember acronyms, and video modules, this app transforms complex medical information into something fun and memorable. Through these simple activities, my goal was to boost kids’ confidence and remind them that they truly are the force in saving lives.

“Also, I wanted this app to not simply be an educational tool. Rather, I wanted the app to foster empathy and compassion within the kids. Often, children don’t understand what happens when an individual goes through a medical emergency. Through providing easy explanations, S.T.R.A.P. The stroke allows the kids to understand the concept from another perspective. By reinforcing the urgency of the matter, it encourages kids to take action when they see stroke symptoms.

“Ultimately, I was inspired by the realization that anyone can take action to save lives, and age isn’t a barrier to accomplishing that goal. Through empowering young kids to recognize the symptoms of a stroke early, I believe that my app can play a pivotal role in saving individuals’ lives.”