In March 2021 I suffered and survived a life threatening Subarachnoid + Intracranial hemorrhage. I was fortunately with one of my best friends home in Connecticut, that rushed me to Stamford Hospital and underwent an immediate CT scan which showed I had a ruptured brain aneurysm. I was then rushed to Yale Hospital for an emergency brain procedure and was in the ICU for weeks with the best health care. I feel so blessed for everyone at Yale Neurosurgery Hospital. No one can tell you what life will be like after you leave the hospital or what to do post brain injury. I was finally discharged to go home and was so sad, depressed, disconnected from who I knew myself to be and felt so lost. 

SameYou gave me many resources and was my community during my recovery. I also started running after I re-learned how to walk, which was the absolute best physical and mental activity. SameYou, Running, EMDR therapy and the incredible love & support of my family and friends were my ingredients to my personal recovery recipe.I am extremely blessed and beyond proud of my personal comeback story, living with no deficits and able to celebrate a day that could've been the date on my tombstone. 

I will be running my 2nd London Landmark Half Marathon next year,  almost 2 years to the day of my brain injury. I am so proud to be able to physically do this & also to fundraise to give back to a charity that gave me so much when I needed it most and continues to be a resource of mine. Emilia Clarke is my hero and like her I will not just survive but I will thrive!

SameYou's purpose is for brain injury survivors to feel they haven't lost the person they were before. When your brain is injured, it is called an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). ABI is primarily made up of stroke, brain tumor and traumatic brain injury (where sudden trauma to the brain is caused by external force such as a fall, sports concussion or road traffic accident).It's estimated that nearly 1 in 3 people will have an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) at some point in their life. Reports say that more than 135 million worldwide are living with brain injury. This is an underestimate of the scale of the problem due to the lack of focus on brain injury.You will know someone with a brain injury at some point, and they will not receive the care they need.

 Thank you so much in advance for donating whatever you can, it really will make a massive difference.