Portrait: Malcolm
In June 2022, my dad Malcolm had a cardiac arrest and my mum did CPR for 18 minutes while she waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Survivor Stories
Many of you have written to SameYou about your experience of brain injury and told us how you identified with Emilia's story. There was a common feeling of relief about hearing a familiar story from someone young, and speaking out to normalize the injury. People were comforted that Emilia had gone through something similar to them or to a family member or loved one.
The overwhelming emotion was of gratitude that Emilia was breaking her silence and that enabled and emboldened so many others to tell their brain injury story - some for the first time. It was as if people now have permission to speak out about their story.
I get days when I just want to give up. But after hearing your story it has made me realize, I'm not on my own!
You have told us that by sharing your stories, and reading other people's, offers hope, comfort and much needed peer-to-peer support that is often hard to find.
SameYou have created this support resource called Portraits to tell the untold story of brain injury. If you would like to share your story, you can submit your story via our Share your story page.
Portrait: Madeleena
While fighting leukemia, Madeleena had a stroke which changed the course of her young adult life.
Portrait: Ray
On January 13th, 2022, after a week of extreme headaches, I had a seizure and stroke in the car as my mother drove me to the ER. A neurosurgeon quickly identified an AVM hemorrhage and began to operate. A third of my skull was removed so the AVM could be removed, and I sat in a coma (possibly sedated) for a month with a tracheotomy.
Portrait: Dmitry
Trying to understand what was going on, I went to an otorhinolaryngologist and a neurologist, but they said everything was fine. The conclusion was that most likely this was the effect of anesthesia after an operation. An MRI was ordered, but unfortunately, the results showed that I had suffered a micro stroke.
Portrait: Kevin
After waking up in the morning, Kevin felt a pain like he had never felt. It subsided for a short time, then bang! It was back again. A brain hemorrhage had occurred.
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Portrait: Mary
Mary experienced a traumatic brain injury aged 2 years old. She tells us about the lifelong impact of a fall as a toddler.
Portrait: Rich
On New Year’s Eve, 2001, I was about to get high on the purest drugs. Sadly, it was in the neurosurgery prep room.
Portrait: Tobias
Tobias is a brain injury survivor who had to learn to walk, eat and talk again after suffering a devastating aneurysm. He spoke of the “moving” moment he crossed the finish line after taking part in SameYou’s Cycle Ibiza challenge.
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Portrait: Emily
I got married on 2nd May 2021. My husband and I had been married a whole 16 days before I sustained a TBI.
Portrait: Daniel
At 28, I was leading a healthy, active life. After an optometrist appointment to identify the cause of my persistent headaches, I was handed a sealed envelope and told to go directly to the hospital. What followed, was emergency brain surgery.