No one should have to navigate brain aneurysm, AVM, or stroke alone.

Every day, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, volunteers, donors, and supporters help others find their way through some of life's most difficult moments. TAAF calls these individuals Lighthouse Keepers.

This year, I'm celebrating 20 years AVM free and being a Lighthouse Keeper.

Your support helps provide:

• Trusted education and resources
• Connection to a caring community
• Hope for patients and families
• Research that advances treatment and care

Thank you for being part of the light. Your support means the world to me.

Saturday, July 15th, 2006
I was having the time of my life, I recently graduated high school on the honor roll, had
an amazing group of friends and I was in love with my high school boyfriend. I was
going to the college of my dreams, University of Delaware! Everything was perfect,
nothing could go wrong, and I was on top of the world.

A typical Saturday night, I was working at the mall in a popular clothing store excited to
leave to go to parties with my friends. The only difference is this Saturday I had a
massive headache.  I rushed to my car to make the 20-minute drive home. My headache was so painful at this point where it was hard to see. I finally made it home, only to see my parents were out to eat. I called them asking my mom what to do because it was the worst pain of my life. She told me to take medicine and lay down. I was screaming from the pain and all of a sudden I had to run to the bathroom, feeling very queasy. The last thing I saw was my dog never leaving my side, as I passed out from the pain. With thirty missed calls and a panicked boyfriend ringing the doorbell over and over again, my parents came home to their youngest daughter unconscious on the bathroom floor. As they shook me and told me they were taking to me to the hospital, it
was the scariest moment of my life. My dad carried me out to the car as neighbors ran over, worried to check on me, I vomited all over. This is the last memory I have of what happened that day, the rest of the story has been told to me.

At the first hospital, they questioned if I was on drugs, convinced it was an overdose. After the scans showed a large mass in my brain, they needed to send me to another hospital to see what exactly it was. I was in such critical condition, they did not think I would make it so they needed to helicopter me to another hospital that had the proper equipment and medical doctors to try and help me. When I arrived at the hospital they ran
me in for many tests, it was Sunday at this point. They found that the entire left side of my brain was covered with blood. I had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which is basically an abnormality in the blood vessels that form at birth. About 1 in 10 people who have excessive brain bleeding will die. Others may have permanent seizures and permanent brain and nervous system damage. With the odds against me, the doctors tried everything they could to keep me alive. The following day they scheduled me for an embolization (endovascular treatment) which tries to stop the blood flow and further damage to my brain. They were able to glue some
pieces, however, the one vessel went straight to my spine. If they stopped the blood flow in that vein, I would be paralyzed. That surgery plan failed.

After many MRIs and CT scans, they received permission from my parents; I was scheduled for emergency open brain surgery. They needed to try and remove the AVM. The risks and complications were beyond imaginable; paralysis, brain damage, brain swelling, stroke and seizures amongst others. With my life on the line, they went in on Wednesday, July 19 th to remove the AVM. After hours and hours of surgery, I was brought into ICU where I stayed for two weeks. Doctors, nurses and my parents were all nervously awaiting me to wake up, would I be paralyzed, would I remember who I was, would I be able to talk, walk and read? I surprised everyone; I was so blessed to be alive. That date is forever a part of me, it is my second birthday, the day I was saved.

I had a long road of recovery and many painful headaches and post-surgery problems, still showing up today with a new diagnosis of epilepsy. I would not be here today without the prayers and love from my family and friends and the most amazing surgeon I was so lucky to have found, Dr. Benetiz. I was fortunate enough to be sent to a hospital that has such amazing surgeons, however, not everyone is as lucky. Please donate and help me raise money for the research and training in AVM surgery so that others may life their lives to the fullest.