On Friday, February 27th at around 12:45 PM, I got the phone call every child fears to get about their parent. My dad was found unresponsive in the basement of my parent’s home. He was transferred to CCM Health in Montevideo, MN where the doctors had predicted that he had a brain aneurysm. However, after being air lifted to the St. Cloud hospital, his team diagnosed that he had suffered a brain-stem stroke. They found a small brain bleed located around the central part of his brain. This all started because he has an abnormal connection between blood vessels in the brain, called a fistula. This caused blood to flow in a way it shouldn’t, which led to bleeding in the fluid spaces around the brain and a buildup of fluid that increased pressure inside the head. Because of that pressure, the team placed a drain into the brain to remove excess fluid and protect the brain from injury. That drain is working well, and follow‑up scans show that the pressure and fluid buildup are improving. The bleeding that occurred is still visible on the scans, but it is stable and not getting worse. Importantly, the scans do not show signs of major or permanent brain damage, dangerous swelling, or shifting of the brain. The challenge now is that the fistula is located in a very delicate area of the brain, close to parts that control vision and facial movement. Because of that, the surgical team decided it would be safer to pause and carefully plan the surgery, rather than rush and risk causing injury to those important functions.

Additional imaging is being used to guide this planning and to make sure there is no hidden injury. Based on everything so far, the brain is stable, which gives the team time to choose the safest possible approach.

The plan is to proceed with surgery as soon as it can be done safely , (today). Over the next day or two, the team will continue close monitoring, manage pressure in the brain, and watch carefully for any changes.

While this is still a serious situation and there are real risks, the most recent imaging is encouraging. Right now, the goal is to fix the underlying problem while protecting his brain, vision, and facial nerves as much as possible.

The procedure was conducted on Saturday, February 28th at around 1:00 in the afternoon. The surgery was successful and was conducted with immense thought and preparation. The current struggle we face now is simply the healing process. There is absolutely no way to know what one day to the next will look like. All we can do at this moment is pray and be with him as he continues to progress.

Any and all contributions will be directly processed to my mom, Angie Nelson, to contribute to hospital bills and other medical expenses. As hard as it is for us to ask for any assistance, we fear we don’t have many options at this time. We are extremely grateful and appreciative of any contributions that are made to the cause. We have been blessed with so much love and support during these past few days and can’t express our gratitude enough. Thank you all, keep praying.❤️