Nichole Vallette, 42, Survives Burst Brain Aneurysm, Undergoes Emergency Surgery
Updated
Updated · TODAY · May 27
Nichole Vallette, 42, Survives Burst Brain Aneurysm, Undergoes Emergency Surgery
2 articles · Updated · TODAY · May 27
Summary
Detroit-area mother Nichole Vallette, 42, became unresponsive after severe headache and vomiting while driving to work on April 21; doctors found a ruptured brain aneurysm that triggered a hemorrhagic stroke.
Emergency surgery that night removed part of her skull to relieve brain swelling, and she initially woke in the ICU on a ventilator, feeding tube and with three drains in her head.
An arteriovenous malformation she likely had since birth caused the aneurysm, her husband said, underscoring how such defects can go undetected for decades without warning signs.
By early May, Vallette had moved to a Detroit rehabilitation hospital and progressed from paralysis on her left side to walking with a cane and using her left hand.
Recovery could take 6 to 18 months, and her family is preparing for continued rehab while hoping she can return home and meet her first grandson in July.