One day at school, in 4th grade, I got a bad headache and passed out. I was rushed to the hospital, where they discovered an AVM in my brain had burst. I needed emergency surgery and suffered strokes. I stayed in the hospital for five months. At first, I couldn’t talk, walk, or swallow. For the next year and a half, my life was all about therapy—speech, physical, occupational, and swallowing therapy. My mom found a great team that understood my goals, even when I couldn’t talk. With their help, I made progress, and six months later, I spoke in front of my doctor, who cried at how much I had improved. Almost two years after my stroke, my mom and I began speaking to aphasia groups and speech-therapy grad students, sharing my story. We also published a children’s book for anyone dealing with brain injuries to spread hope. It is called “Or So They Thought: A True Story”. Here is the link:  https://a.co/d/eenpDOn  Three years after my stroke, I spoke to 600 people at a brain injury conference and said, “Even after a stroke, I’m still sassy and a badass.” Kids’ brains heal for years, so it’s important to keep trying, even when progress feels slow. Never give up!

I had my stroke at age 10. I’m now 14. It is isolating. But my mom found a group of people with Aphasia, called Aphasia Recovery Connection. We meet virtually every week. I’m the youngest one in this group by at least 30 years. Recently, we got connected to a teen support group through Niekro the Aneurysm and AVM Foundation!

The Niekro Foundation has benefitted me by connecting with their teen support group.  I finally met kids the same age as me, who went through same things as me, and who get it!

My words of hope and advice to other survivors is keep going! Even when life throws a hardship at you, just keep going. Never give up.