281-543-5251 | Contact Us Joe Niekro Foundation, 15922 Eldorado Pkwy Ste 500 PMB6032 Frisco, TX 75035
Donate

Knuckling Up for Brain Aneurysms, AVMs & Hemorrhagic Strokes
  • Give
    • Apparel
    • Other Ways to Give
    • GIVING
    • Gifts in Honor
  • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Medical Advisory Board
    • Our Mission
    • Partners
    • Contact Us
  • Education
    • Understanding
      • Brain Basics
      • What is an Aneurysm?
      • What is an AVM?
      • What is a Hemorrhagic Stroke?
      • Types of Cerebral Aneurysms
      • Factors of a Brain Aneurysm
      • Symptoms of a Brain Aneurysm
      • Dangers of a Brain Aneurysm
      • How Does a Brain Aneurysm Develop?
      • What Happens When an Aneurysm Bleeds?
      • How is a Brain Aneurysm Diagnosed?
    • Treatment
      • Unruptured Aneurysm
      • Ruptured Aneurysm
      • Clipping
      • Occlusion and Bypass
      • Endovascular Embolization / Coiling
      • Flow Diversion
      • Onyx Liquid Embolic System
      • Gamma Knife
      • Questions to Ask Your Doctor
      • Should I Get a Second Opinion?
      • Treating Physicians
  • Support
    • Support Groups
      • Support Group Locations
    • Recovery
      • Denial
      • Anger and Frustration
      • Depression
      • Bargaining
      • Acceptance
      • Post Recovery Issues
    • Caregivers
      • What a Caregiver Needs to Know
      • Recharging and Finding Balance
      • Looking After Yourself
    • What to Expect
  • Connect
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
        • Patients Online Support Group
        • Caregivers Online Support Group
        • Young Adult Online Survivor’s Support Group
        • Parents Online Support Group
        • Honoring the Taken Online Support Group
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • Pinterest
      • LinkedIn
      • Google+
    • Stories
      • Survivors Around the Globe
      • The Caregiver’s Side
      • Honoring the Taken
      • Submit Your Story
    • Webinars
    • Blog
    • Knuckle Up Newsletter
  • Events
    • Virtual 5k Walk.Run.Row.Cycle
    • Houston Knuckle Ball – 2022
  • Grants
    • Joe Niekro Research Grant
      • Letter of Intent
      • Grant Application
      • Grant Recipients
    • Joe Niekro/SNIS Research Grant
    • Joe Niekro Patient’s Choice Award
    • Joe Niekro Crystal Bat Award
Home > Blog > Survivors Around the Globe > Survivor Around the Globe, Markelle Harden
  • https://www.joeniekrofoundation.com/survivors-around-the-globe/survivor-around-globe-markelle-harden/

    Survivor Around the Globe, Markelle Harden

    MarkelleHardenSurvivorJust a few months shy of my 40th birthday, I was feeling really good about things as the “over the hill” day was approaching. I successfully navigated a big career change in my mid-thirties, and my family and I were starting to feel settled after a cross-country move. In slow motion, everything changed. I woke up for work and yelped from the sharp pain in my head. I felt stunned; I was no stranger to headaches but something didn’t feel quite right. My husband took one look at me and told me to get ready for the hospital. He got our daughter ready while I got dressed and ready to go. In the back of my mind the word aneurysm lingered; but how could I be conscious? My Dad suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm in the 1970’s, not long after his 30th birthday and collapsed. I was not only conscious, but the pain was starting to subside.

    My husband parked the car and we walked into the emergency room (we still laugh about that; normal people would have stopped at the emergency entrance and asked for help). Luckily, the emergency room doctor was no stranger to my symptoms and ordered a CT scan, where they found a SAH, or a subarachnoid hemorrhage. I was in shock; I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I tried to hold in my tears as my husband made arrangements for a friend to pick up my daughter and call family members to give them the news.

    Next, they were preparing me for a life flight into Charlotte, NC for immediate surgery. My aneurysm was not a candidate for coiling, so I have several titanium clips holding everything together. I’m blessed that my husband was home; I might not have recognized the symptoms as worthy of an emergency room visit and shrugged them off. Many people delay the emergency room visit and don’t make it, or they suffer permanent disabilities.

    Since my long-term effects are completely different from my Dad’s, it feels strange to share the same diagnosis. My Dad was physically handicapped and permanently disabled; I turned a cartwheel on my one year anniversary and today I try to keep up with my daughter on bike rides. In my free time I like outdoor adventures, beach time, reading, and yoga.

    For other survivors, it’s OK to mourn the loss of your former self and the relationships that were part of your past. Just don’t stay down too long; there are new beginnings along the way and people who are willing to love an accept the new you, just as you are. Don’t ignore the psycho-social effects and symptoms. Seek out a neurologist who specializes in recovery and renewal.

    Aneurysm awareness, diagnosis and surgical procedures have come a long way since the 1970’s thanks to organizations like the Joe Niekro Foundation.


    The Joe Niekro Foundation would like to thank Markelle for sharing her story. Her message to other survivors is spot on!

    Have a story you want to share? Submit your story.

    Posted on Thursday, January 4, 2018
  •  

    Comments

Common Questions

  • What is a brain aneurysm?
  • What is an AVM?
  • What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
  • What are the risk factors of a brain aneurysm?
  • What are the symptoms of a brain aneurysm?
  • What are the dangers of a brain aneurysm?
  • How does a brain aneurysm develop?
  • How is a brain aneurysm diagnosed?

Upcoming Events

News Room

  • Stories
  • Videos
  • Knuckle Up Newsletter

Connect with Us

  • Subscribe to our Knuckle-Up Newsletter
  • Become a Fan on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Join our Online Aneurysm/AVM Support Group
  • Join our Online Parents Support Group
  • Join our Online Young Adult Survivor’s Support Group
  • Join our Online Aneurysm/AVM Caregivers Support Group
  • Join our Online Honoring the Taken Support Group
  • Support Group Locations
  • Contact Us
  • References
  • Privacy Policy
© 2022 Joe Niekro Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
  • Donate

    Every donation matters - every dollar counts. The Joe Niekro Foundation is a registered 501 (c)(3) which means your donations are 100% tax deductible. Your donations are used to enhance the research and treatment of brain aneurysms, AVM and hemorrhagic strokes, while supporting patients and families through the recovery process.

    Donate Now!
  • Newsletter Sign Up

    The best way to keep up to date on all the JNF happenings. Sign up today for our Knuckle Up Newsletter!