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CLJulianne Smith survived a severe type of ruptured brain aneurysm with only about a 10% survival rate. “I was 38 years old when it happened, and it was very eye opening to me that no one is guaranteed tomorrow,” says Julianne. The young mother of three was going about her daily routine when she passed out in the kitchen. Her 10-year-old daughter was home at the time and quickly dialed her father, who called 911. “Julianne presented with the worst grade possible for a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is when someone has a ruptured aneurysm or has some other reason for an artery bleeding in the head,” says Julianne’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Nina Zobenica Moore.
In the hospital, Julianne had to undergo multiple surgeries, including a right hemicraniectomy, where a large piece of her skull was temporarily removed to relieve pressure and allow the brain to swell out. Dr. Moore says it took the fast action of a multidisciplinary team to successfully care for Julianne. However, Julianne’s hospitalization was just the beginning of her journey.
Following the ruptured aneurysm, she had trouble speaking and couldn’t move the left side of her body – preventing her from walking on her own. With countless hours of therapy, Julianne went from essentially being bedridden to walking freely again over the course of about six months. She also regained her ability to drive after temporarily losing it because of her mobility issues. Her speaking voice continues to get stronger as well. “I’m back to doing the things I love, like volunteering and traveling,” says Julianne.
With a new outlook on life, Julianne isn’t taking one moment for granted. She’s thankful to her tight-knit church community for their prayers as well as others she didn’t even know who stepped up to support and pray for her. She’s also grateful to her care team who she credits for saving her life. “From the first responders and flight medics to the doctors, nurses, and physical therapists – everyone who took care of me was wonderful throughout this whole process. I’m so grateful to God everything lined up the way it did,” says Julianne.
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