Please Help Annie Through this Tragedy

Summary:
On July 4th, my little sister Annie had an aneurysm during the first night of her family vacation in Florida. What was one week at the beach has now turned into a month in the ICU. Annie has gone through five surgeries with more awaiting. Annie is the sweetest 17 year old who loves her family and friends. She was about to begin her senior year at East High School and is top of her class. She plays varsity tennis, spends her summers at Central College Upward Bound, loves playing games with her friends, eating at taco trucks, and so much more. Annie is now fighting for her life, displaced from her relatives and friends. She is currently paralyzed and will have much rehabilitation to endure. This is a life changing event for her and we are raising money for Annie and her long recovery road ahead. Anything helps. Thank you and please keep Annie Huynh in your thoughts and prayers.  

We hope to be back home in Iowa soon.

[Daughter of Binh Nguyen and Luc Huynh]


Full Story:

On July 4th, my family took a road trip down to Destin, Florida to enjoy a week at the beaches. Only 2 hours after arriving at the rental home, I was lying in bed next to Annie when she started vomiting. She became unresponsive, started seizing, and collapsed.

Annie was rushed to the Fort Walton Medical Center that night and we were told that she had a hemorrhagic stroke due to a very rare brain condition called AVM (Arteriovenous malformation). She seized for 3 hours and emergency brain surgery was performed on Annie that night. We got extremely lucky that the neurosurgeon was able to stop the brain bleeding and save Annie's life.

Annie was then transferred to the Ascension Sacred Hospital in Pensacola, FL so neuro-specialists could work on Annie's case. They told us that she had a brain aneurysm, and treated her by putting a coil on the vessel. She also now has a cerebral shunt placed in her which drains the spinal fluid because she was unable to do so herself. Now they have found that she has vasospasm, which means not enough blood was flowing to the left side of her brain, causing brain damage. She is currently being treated for it. During her time here, she has undergone 5 surgeries and she will need more.

The doctors say she has aphasia, which means she can hear us but she cannot communicate and may not understand. She currently cannot move the entire right side of her body, but the left side is stronger. We are praying for her recovery and she will have to relearn how to walk, eat, and communicate again through intensive therapy.

Annie is 17 years old and was about to begin her senior year at East High School. She has the sweetest smile and loves to listen to music 24/7 and sing. She is an excellent student, currently placing top of her class. She plays varsity tennis, spends her summers at Central College Upward Bound, loves playing games with her friends, eating at taco trucks, and so much more. This is life changing and we are praying for her recovery journey. The medical expenses will take a big toll on the family and anything will go a long way to help pay for the surgeries, ICU care, therapy, medication, and getting back to Iowa. We are a long way from home and hope to be back soon. Thank you and please keep Annie in your thoughts and prayers.

With love and appreciation,

Family of Binh Nguyen and Tom (Luc) Huynh