Help Erika - aneurysm survivor at 14

Maria Almanzar is organizing this fundraiser.

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On September 4th, 2015 (just weeks after starting her first year in high school), my sister Erika showed us just how unpredictable life can be. One minute she was laughing and texting w/ me at 10:15pm and by 10:48pm I had a text from my brother saying she had stopped breathing, needed CPR from my dad, and that the paramedics had arrived.

Less then 2 hours later we had the results in from the hospital..a family's worst nightmare come to life..She had suffered a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm at just 14 years old. (Below you can see where all the blood spilled: the light areas in the middle of the brain is blood where it should not be)

That weekend she underwent brain surgery, which was successful, and was on her way to recovery. However, our excitement was unfortunately cut short four days later when she had to have a second emergency surgery to have her skull reopened due to an increase in cranial pressure. Her surgeon was able to remove some of the fluid that was building up in her brain and she is now once again on her road to recovery, however he had to remove a piece of her skull to relieve the pressure. As if this was not enough she has had 2 more procedures done to open up her little blood vessels that were trying to close up on her.

Our family has the highest hopes that she will overcome this struggle, but what we don’t have is enough money to cover her costly medical expenses, and many months of rehabilitation that our princess will need when she wakes up. My parents are both taking time off work to be with her. We would like to reach out to all of our family and friends, to those that can relate to this tough situation, and even to those that can find it in their hearts to help, if possible, with a donation for Erika’s medical fund.

The life of any 14 year old girl is frequently met with obstacles. The teenage years are a time when a young girl starts improving her life. She has to remember to be aware of her physical, mental, and social state. She must strive to be intelligent, healthy, and find a good circle of friends to keep her happy, not to mention building the trust and love of the people that surround her. But Erika is not just any 14 year old girl. She’s the kind of girl that surpasses these obstacles time and time again and we can’t wait to see her back on her feet so that she can complete her path to success.

Please keep our baby in your thoughts and prayers as her road to recovery is a very long one. She will need to learn how to regain whatever motor skills were affected, and will need all the help she can get to regain her strength. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated from the bottom of me and my family's heart. We thank you for taking the time to read and share her story.