Brain Aneurysm Foundation Allie’s Story
When Allie Bedell’s father suffered a brain aneurysm rupture in 2017, one nurse’s instincts and an experimental surgery saved his life. In this video, Allie shares her family’s journey from misdiagnosis to recovery, their commitment to raising awareness, and how research funding can turn last-chance procedures into standard, lifesaving care.
Video Transcript:
In the summer of 2017, my dad suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Our family didn’t know anything about brain aneurysms at the time, and his case turned out to be unique.It required an experimental and uncommon repair.
He went to our local emergency room, where he was initially misdiagnosed. Thankfully, one nurse had a feeling something wasn’t right and suggested one more scan. That extra scan caught the aneurysm. Back then, my parents didn’t even know they should be advocating for a brain aneurysm check. His symptoms matched what we now recognize as warning signs, but we simply didn’t know enough to push for the right scans.
The recovery process was long, but my dad made a remarkable recovery. He’s back to work and in good health, though we know not all families are as fortunate. After his surgery, we were advised to consider screening for the rest of the family. That raised a lot of questions for us. Should all of us get scanned?
We first learned about the Brain Aneurysm Foundation during my dad’s treatment, through Dr. Ogilvy. On the five-year anniversary of his rupture, we decided to participate in the New England Run/Walk for the first time and raise funds. As a family, it felt important to give back, especially since the experimental procedure that saved my dad’s life is now much more common, thanks to research funding.
I’ve found that fundraising is incredibly rewarding because it’s tangible. You can see the impact. Awareness is just as important, and I’ve realized that fundraising naturally creates awareness. Many of my friends and family now understand a lot more about brain aneurysms, especially after seeing how research can lead to lifesaving outcomes.