I am participating virtually in the 8th Annual Pittsburgh 5K for Brain Aneurysm Awareness on June 26, 2021.

The 5K Run/ Walk fundraiser helps to provide awareness, education and support for brain aneurysm awareness in Pittsburgh! Please join us to remember and honor friends/family members and support the wonderful efforts of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.   

MY STORY: 

June 8th, 2020 marks the day that my life changed forever. A day where my faith was tested AND strengthened. It would be the day that I discovered that since birth, I’ve lived with 7 Brain Aneurysms, UNKNOWINGLY. It would be the day that one of them ruptured. It would also be the day that I became a SURVIVOR, of what 40% of the victims do not recover from, a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH). 

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What started off as a beautiful day of HIIT Training with my, then, 12yr Old Son, would end with me having emergency surgery to repair the ruptured aneurysm. This was done via coiling, followed by a 3-week stent at HH in the ICU, and 2 subsequent surgeries for stent placement for 4 of the 6 remaining aneurysms, in Aug. and Nov. 2020. There are 2 untreated aneurysms remaining, as they are too small to be operated on. 

There was no warning. Just a sudden, extremely painful, and debilitating headache.....it felt as though something exploded inside of my head. Then it went silent, everything sounded low in volume and there was a constant ringing in my ear. I could barely walk, had a stiff neck, and I vomited. My son, my hero, called 911 and thankfully , I am here today, able to tell my story, without any permanent neurological damage. God it great and my time here isn’t finished!

Half the battle is KNOWING, and now that we know, I can and will be monitored for life. While medical professionals are well versed in Brain Aneurysms there is still little known about what causes them and how we can prevent ruptures. What they do know, is that aneurysms appear to be hereditary, so KNOW YOUR FAMILY’S medical history and ASK questions! 

This is why WE need YOUR help and support to bring awareness to Brain Aneurysms so that our medical professionals can be better equipped with helping us to be more proactive and less reactive when it comes to prevention of this often times fatal and debilitating disease. 

Join me on 6/26/2021 for the annual 5K for Brain Aneurysm Awareness. Donations encouraged and welcomed. We thank you in advance for your contributions. Many blessings and love to you all! 

OUR MISSION: To promote early detection of brain aneurysms by providing knowledge and raising awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors. Work with the medical communities to provide support networks for patients and families, as well as to further research that will improve patient outcomes and save lives.