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15 Years Ago, Everything Changed.

Fifteen years ago, I left work to pick up my children—then just 5 and 7—from daycare. I parked in front of the infant room, walked in, said "hello"… and collapsed in a grand mal seizure.

The amazing daycare staff rushed my children away before they saw everything, but they still saw too much. In the ER, my CT scan came back clear, and I was discharged with instructions not to drive for six months. On the ride home, I lit a cigarette—completely unaware that I had just survived the early warning signs of a brain aneurysm, and that smoking was the last thing I should be doing.

A month later, thanks to the incredible people I worked with in medical research, I saw a neurologist, had an MRI, and was diagnosed with a brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) and a brain aneurysm.

For two more months, I lived with a ticking time bomb in my brain. I taught my children how to dial 911. I posted my medical history on the kitchen wall. We practiced emergency plans. Friends called every day—essentially to see if I was still alive.

Then in July 2010, I underwent a right frontal craniotomy to seal the AVM and remove the aneurysm. I went into surgery not knowing who I would be when I woke up. Would I walk? Talk? Remember anything? Would I still be me?

The surgery was a success. I made lots of brain jokes (that no one laughed at), spent months recovering with the love and support of incredible friends and family, and—miraculously—I think I’m still mostly me. I carry a groovy scar, brackets in my skull, and weekly headaches to remind me of what I survived. But I am alive.

Here's why I’m telling you this:

About 15% of people with a ruptured brain aneurysm die before reaching the hospital.

6.8 million people in the U.S. have an unruptured brain aneurysm right now.

This summer marks 15 years since my life-saving surgery. To celebrate, I’m running my favorite race—the Falmouth Road Race—and raising funds for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.

Your donation helps fund research, raise awareness, and support patients and families affected by this silent killer.

🧠 Please consider donating and sharing my story. Let’s save more lives—together.