Support Sean’s Recovery - Brain Bleed Recovery

Hi all -

My brother-in-law Sean was unexpectedly rushed to the ER on Thursday, January 12 after exhibiting stroke-like symptoms. Thankfully, his mother was home & recognized the symptoms to get help immediately. Upon receiving test results, they found that Sean’s symptoms were a result of a brain bleed - something highly uncommon in a healthy 26 year old.

Over the last four days, Sean has undergone countless scans & tests, and two brain surgeries (a craniotomy to relieve the pressure, and a surgery to drain the blood from the bleed). He is currently intubated & has been pretty heavily sedated through this period, but he has shown some good signs that he is aware that the family is with him & can hear them, and has responded to touch. The big milestone we are waiting for is for Sean to open his eyes, which we are hopeful will happen in the coming days.

There are a lot of unknowns ahead. At this time, the doctors have not found a definitive cause for the brain bleed. They originally expected it to be a result of an AVM, but all scans have come back negative. What we do know is that they have labeled it a "Left Basial Ganglia Intercerebral Hemorrhage." We know that there is at least one more brain surgery in his future, which will replace the part of his skull they removed to allow swelling. We also know that Sean will likely need various therapies (the extent of which is still unknown) on his recovery journey to hopefully correct anything the bleeding may have impacted.

Anyone who is lucky enough to know Sean personally knows that he has the most infectious personality - he brings a laugh to everyone around him, and is always ready for a good time. Our hearts are hurting to see Sean like this, but we know that he is strong (and stubborn to boot) and have faith that he will pull through this!

He will have to be out of work for an undefined amount of time, with his regular bills accruing in addition to a new mountain of medical bills. My hope is that we are able to help reduce the financial burden of a lengthy stay in the neuro ICU & multiple brain surgeries so it's one less thing for Sean to need to worry about on his recovery journey.

Whether your support looks like a financial donation of any size, sharing Sean's story with others, or keeping Sean (and his doctors) in your prayers - we are so thankful for the continued support & love. If there is one thing that's been confirmed in the last few days, it's that Sean is so important to so many people & that he has a massive army of support & prayers behind him.

I will continue to provide updates as they become available for those who are wanting to follow along. Thank you again to everyone for your love & support of our Sean!