On July 17th, 2025, my family's world stopped, and we’re still waiting for it to spin again. My mom is Amy Bradeson-Etheridge. On July 17th, she had a subarachnoid aneurysm that burst, leading to a hemorrhagic stroke. She’s been in the hospital on a ventilator since.

Who is Amy? Who’s my mom?

She’s a Tucson native, having gone to school on the east side of Tucson, trying to leave and ending up coming right back. She’s a mom to four children but also to her students. She loves everyone as if they were hers. She wasn’t just a teacher but a special education teacher.

She’s been working with schools throughout her younger children's lives, taking on the Hudlow Elementary School library as a volunteer, with a newborn on her hip so the students had access to the library books, then moving schools and doing the same thing two years later at Henry, going on to become the paid librarian. She didn't stay long before a GCU “recruiter” caught her.

My mom then started teaching special education, getting a master's online while raising her two younger children, 5 and 10, and she did it. She did it and got a 4.0 while doing it. So she did it again. She got two master's degrees online while teaching/creating special education programs (including during COVID), simultaneously raising two busy kids, and helping her two younger adult children, while getting all A’s.

While going to school for a certification after her second master's, she decided to take a break from school to have more time with family, especially her new grandson who she adores, and her soulmate, my dad.

My mom and dad have been married for 35 years. They met and got married three months later because when you know, you know. My dad hasn’t spent this long away from my mom in over 20 years. My sister and I have never gone this long without talking to her or texting. We’re praying to have her home with us soon.

My family is trying to raise money to help cover the costs related to my mom going into the hospital. She’s looking at a minimum 21-day ICU stay, lots of surgeries, and still more to come and a long recovery. My family wasn’t prepared to lose its second income, especially so suddenly. It’s caused great stress to my dad, who’s had to take over the bills now. We’re hoping to relieve the stress on my father.

Thank you to anyone who helps my family in this time, along with those sharing my mom's story.