Brad's Brain Bleed Recovery

My name is Sara Szathmary. I am the stepdaughter of an amazing stepfather, Brad, who recently suffered a significant left-sided brain bleed. I am creating this GoFundMe page to request donations for financial support with medical expenses and needing time off work.

On Friday, April 22nd, Brad developed sudden right-sided paralysis and an inability to formulate words. He had enough strength to make it to the bedroom to wake up my mother, Cindy. She immediately called 911 and Brad was brought to the local hospital for diagnosis and stabilization. At the hospital, they did an emergency CT scan and found that he had a significant bleed on the left side of his brain. He was airlifted to St. Cloud's and admitted to their Neurology ICU. Upon arrival, another CT was performed, and the results showed that additional bleeding had occurred. A PICC line was placed, and medication was started to stabilize the swelling in his brain.

Currently, Brad has right-sided paralysis and is still struggling with speech. He is still admitted to St. Cloud hospital and still receiving medication to stabilize the intracranial swelling. He has started to receive Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. Tests are still being done to determine the potential cause of the bleed. The current plan is for Brad to be admitted to a rehabilitation center for intensive therapy after discharge from the hospital. He will most likely remain in St. Cloud for this therapy.

Anyone who has met Brad can attest to his witty, spirited, and kind-hearted personality. He is always willing to help anyone in need. He is a very active and determined person, and his strength and drive will get him through this difficult time.

While Brad is retired, he cares for the farm and animals. My mother still works Monday – Thursday. With Brad’s current and future needs, my mother will need to step away from her employment and step into a full-time caregiver. This will cause a significant financial strain on their household.

In addition to Brad’s current health, my brother passed away very unexpectedly on 1/11/22. It has only been 3.5 months since his passing. As you can imagine, the toll of emotional and financial burdens has not stopped in the last few months.

Your donation will help alleviate some of the financial burdens they are experiencing. The money will be put towards Brad’s medical expenses, time off work, travel, and any additional cost that may arise from this unfortunate situation. If you prefer Venmo, my account is @Sara-Szathmary the last 4 digits are 6028. Regardless of your ability to donate, please keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate this time.

Sincerely,

Sara Szathmary