On August 17, 2022, I got home from work & had plans to go out for dinner. I went to the shower, & from there, my life completely changed. How I remember, I felt my body shutting down & me saying out loud, “God, NOT ME!” while passing out. During my unconscious state I can hear from faraway my wife’s voice screaming & crying. And all I can think about is needing to get to her. I then regained consciousness & yelled “I’m taking a shower” her response was that I had fallen & needed to open the locked door. I open my eyes, realized I was on the floor feeling a sudden pain in my head. My wife had already made the 911 call which I was taken to a local hospital, I got a CT scan because of the fall & hit in my head but little that I know, it was something more serious. As soon as the doctor saw the brain bleed and swelling, I was life flighted to the Medical Center in Houston, TX for emergency surgery. I had never felt so afraid & worried about what could happen next. I was admitted to the Neuroscience ICU. I had multiple procedures, surgeries & a VP shunt placed. During those 15 days in the ICU, my hope & faith never left me. I prayed & talked to God all day, every day. Following my discharge, I only attended physical therapy to help me regain my strength. During the recovery, I encountered several setbacks, but with determination & perseverance, I eventually return to my day-to-day activities. Today, 2 yrs after the aneurysm rupture, I continue to live a full life with minimal effects. I’m so thankful for the Neuro ICU team, my family & friends who helped & supported. Especially to my wife, that I call “my angel” for being there at the right moment & acted quickly. Also, the faith of the people that surrounded me saved me. I’m a living testimony of God’s grace & sharing my survival story can bring inspiration to others.

Before connecting with The Niekro Foundation, I assumed I was a healthy person who didn’t have any health problems or had experienced any of the symptoms. I didn’t know ruptured brain aneurysms existed and its factors.  The Niekro Foundation has benefitted me by serving as a valuable source of information and connecting me with other survivors.

My words of hope for others are that you’re not alone and God is always listening!