Jessica’s life changed in an instant when a ruptured brain aneurysm nearly killed her while she was home alone. What followed was a frantic 911 call, a race against time, and six weeks in the Neuro ICU that would change everything. Today, she’s sharing her story of survival, resilience, and gratitude — in hopes that it might help someone else recognize the warning signs before it’s too late.

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September 19, 2023. That is the day my brain tried to kill me. It is also the day that gave me a second chance at life.

I share my story because I am one of the fortunate few who survived a catastrophic ruptured brain aneurysm. Every day, I think about how different the outcome could have been. Had I ignored what my body was telling me or waited even a few more minutes to call 911, I would not be here today. If my story helps even one person recognize the warning signs and seek help before it’s too late, then reliving the hardest day of my life is worth it.

Looking Back, My Body Was Trying to Warn Me

Months before my aneurysm ruptured, something wasn’t right. In the spring of 2023, I constantly felt pressure deep inside my ears. They always felt plugged or infected. I visited urgent care over and over, convinced I had another ear infection. Every single time, the answer was the same: “everything looks normal.” I tried antihistamines, allergy medicine, decongestants. Nothing helped. The pressure never went away. What makes my story unusual is that I wasn’t having headaches. Instead, I developed severe vertigo, overwhelming exhaustion, and a strange inability to think clearly. I couldn’t focus. I struggled to tolerate noise or busy environments. I was forgetting things, making impulsive decisions, and felt like I was becoming someone I didn’t recognize. My family noticed. My friends noticed. Even I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t explain it. One day, completely out of character, I suddenly quit the job I loved because I simply couldn’t function anymore. At the time, I thought I was falling apart. Now I know my brain was already under incredible stress.

The Morning Everything Changed

The morning of September 19 started like any other. I was home alone, organizing my house after recently putting it up for sale. My son, Liam, who was just 10 years old, had left to ride his bike with a friend. Then, without warning, I began feeling shaky and lightheaded. It reminded me of the feeling you get when your blood sugar drops and you need something to eat. I sat down on the couch. Within seconds, my body was drenched in sweat. Then came the pain. It wasn’t just a headache. It felt like my head had exploded. The pain behind my eyes was unbearable. My vision blurred. My hands began shaking uncontrollably. I started vomiting. In that instant, I knew this wasn’t normal. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew I was dying.

The Most Important Phone Call of My Life

With blurred vision and shaking hands, I somehow reached for my phone and dialed 911. To this day, I don’t remember everything I said. I only remember telling the dispatcher: “I don’t know what’s happening… but I know I’m dying.” Then one thought overwhelmed every other thought: my son. All I could picture was Liam riding his bike home and walking through the front door to find me dead. That could never happen. After calling 911, I somehow managed to call my mother. I told her I thought I was dying, that I had called an ambulance. Then I begged her to get to my house before Liam came home. Those are the last moments I remember.

The Decision That Saved My Life

The ambulance arrived just as I lost consciousness. Paramedics immediately began lifesaving treatment before rushing me to the emergency department here in Wausau, Wisconsin. When my mother arrived, she was told the doctor believed I was having a migraine. But my mother knew that wasn’t right. I had never suffered migraines. She refused to accept that explanation. An emergency room nurse, someone I will forever call one of my guardian angels, stood beside my mother and urged the physician to order an emergency CT scan immediately. That nurse changed my life. Within minutes, the scan revealed the truth: a massive ruptured brain aneurysm had flooded my brain with blood. Every second suddenly mattered.

The Flight That Meant Everything

Doctors immediately contacted the Neuro ICU at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. Neurosurgeon Dr. Mustafa Başkaya reviewed my scans and made the decision that I needed to be airlifted immediately. But even getting me onto the helicopter became a race against time. I was so unstable that the emergency team spent more than an hour performing lifesaving interventions before I could safely be transported. Only then was I loaded onto Flight for Life. Only then did I have a chance.

Fighting for My Life

I remember almost nothing from those first weeks. Everything I know comes from my family. They tell me that when I arrived at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, Dr. Başkaya and his incredible team immediately took over my care while also comforting my terrified family. No one knew if I would survive. My diagnosis was devastating: I had suffered an HH4/Fisher Grade 3 ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. For days, my family lived minute by minute. I remained on a ventilator while doctors fought swelling and prepared for surgery. Before surgery, my family told Dr. Başkaya something I will treasure forever: “Treat her as if she were your own daughter.” He did exactly that.

A Long Road Back

Over the next six weeks, I remained in the Neuro ICU. I underwent a right orbitozygomatic skull base approach, a decompressive craniectomy, and microsurgical clipping of my ruptured aneurysm. I required a tracheostomy and spent much of my ICU stay unable to speak. I was fed through a feeding tube. I developed severe hydrocephalus and required placement of a permanent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, which I have since needed revised because of malfunction. When the tracheostomy was finally removed, I had to learn how to speak again using a speaking valve. Then came months of rehabilitation: learning, healing, adjusting, surviving.

Why I Tell My Story

I am permanently disabled because of my brain injury. Life will never be the same. There are still challenges every single day. But I am alive, and that is a gift I will never take for granted. People often ask how I survived. I believe there were many reasons: the skill of extraordinary first responders, the courage of an emergency room nurse who refused to stay silent, the determination of my mother to advocate for me, the expertise of Dr. Mustafa Başkaya and every member of the Neuro ICU team, the love of my family, and one decision that I made before I lost consciousness. I listened to my body. Something inside me knew this wasn’t “just a headache.” Instead of waiting, I called 911. That single decision saved my life.

My Message

Brain aneurysms can happen to anyone. Sometimes there are warning signs. Sometimes there are none. If you ever experience the sudden worst headache of your life, especially if it is accompanied by vomiting, vision changes, loss of consciousness, or a feeling that something is terribly wrong, do not wait. Call 911 immediately. Trust your instincts — it may save your life.

I believe I survived for a reason. My purpose now is to tell my story, to honor the people who saved me, to raise awareness, and, hopefully, to help save someone else’s life. If my story reaches just one person before it’s too late, then surviving all of this will have meant something far greater than myself.