Mom defies the odds and recovers from brain aneurysm: 'An absolute miracle'
One of Julianne Smith's doctors said she was "on the brink of death."
A mom of three is calling it an "absolute miracle" that she not only survived but recovered from a massive brain aneurysm rupture.
"The fact that I'm even here is an absolute miracle. And the power of prayer is so real," Julianne Smith told "Good Morning America."
Last January, Smith passed out in her kitchen, and her 10-year-old daughter called their dad at work, who then called 911.
"So I show up, and Julianne's like, 'I just don't feel good. I'm really dizzy.' And then she puts her hand on her head and just lets out this horrible scream," Mike Smith recalled.
Smith, who was 38 at the time, was subsequently flown on a life flight to the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Nina Moore, a Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon, said Smith's condition then was dire.
"We never like to see patients come in that severe condition. She was on the brink of death," Moore recalled.
About 30,000 patients in the U.S. experience a brain aneurysm rupture each year. Symptoms to look for, according to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, include:
- Sudden severe headache, often described as "the worst of my life"
- Nausea
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Blurred or double vision
- Loss of consciousness
According to StatPearls, an online library published in the National Library of Medicine, once a cerebral aneurysm ruptures, "morbidity and mortality are very high."
"Nearly 25% are dead within the first 24 hours, and 50% will die within the next three months," it states. "Even in the following treatment, there is a high mortality rate of nearly 40%."
According to StatPearls, "most patients require physical, speech, and occupational therapy" after being discharged, as well as continuous monitoring "to ensure that the aneurysm has been obliterated."
After being hospitalized, Smith underwent emergency surgery and was put in a medically-induced coma for 14 days. She then had another high-risk surgery to prevent a massive stroke before she woke up.
Moore said Smith's recovery was exceptional.
"We were actually astounded. She was following commands, she was talking, like interacting with her family. It was ... truly miraculous," Moore said.
According to Smith, recovery wasn't easy -- she had to learn how to walk again and undergo speech and physical therapy.
Through it all, despite the difficulties, Smith said she remained motivated.
"I looked at the therapist and I said, 'I have a lot to live for,'" Smith said.
On Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, Smith returned home, and now, just nine months later, Smith's doctors are still amazed at her progress.
"To see her doing so well so soon, just brings us all great joy," Moore said.
The Smiths said the experience has changed them, but they remain grateful.
"It kind of like, shook us to our core, but I think it brought it back to center, like on what really matters in life," Smith said.
"I'm just thankful every day," her husband added.
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