Olivia Spalding was washing the dishes when a dull headache set in. It was a hot New Year’s Day, and the 54-year-old, who was helping her family prepare for an event to remember her late father-in-law, assumed it was due to dehydration or stress. Olivia Spalding is receiving treatment after having a stroke in January. Joe Armao But then an overwhelming sensation of pins and needles spread through her body. “It was out of nowhere,” she recalled. Though she didn’t know it at the time, the mother of three was having a stroke. Despite stroke being one of the leading causes of deaths in Australia and killing more people than breast cancer, women are often diagnosed later than men and have worse outcomes. Now, an Australian-first clinic at Monash Medical Centre is trying to reduce this gender disparity by providing tailored care to the one in five women who will have a stroke during their lifetime, as well as those at risk.…