Young Nurse Commits to Serving Others after Life-Saving AVM Surgery at Barrow
If someone asked me where I thought I’d be today as a teenager, I’m not sure if I would have had an answer. It’s hard to imagine the future when you’re not sure if you’ll even have one. That’s how I felt after receiving a life-shattering diagnosis.
When I was 14, I experienced a horrific migraine attack, during which my whole left side went numb. Soon after, an MRI revealed that I had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM)—an abnormal tangle of blood vessels—in my brain. The lesion could rupture at any time, causing intense bleeding and a stroke. I will never forget the day my dad explained to me that I had a Grade 5 AVM, which is considered inoperable, or how my mom cried and hugged me afterward. We searched relentlessly for a doctor who could offer a solution, but they all said the same thing: they could only help manage my symptoms, not treat the AVM.
Then, we were put in contact with Michael T. Lawton, MD, President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute. He was the only one to offer me a treatment plan. Although my AVM was still inoperable due to its large size and proximity to my occipital lobe, Dr. Lawton proposed that I undergo Gamma Knife radiosurgery to shrink it until it reached an operable state. I agreed to the treatment plan, but it wasn’t easy. While my friends were doing sports and planning for college, I was dealing with migraine attacks, medications, and radiation therapy.
Despite everything, I finished all four of my Gamma Knife treatments in time for my senior year of high school, which excited me beyond belief. As I began thinking about my future, I remembered all the nurses who went above and beyond to care for me and realized that was my calling. I was going to study to become a nurse.
One year later, I was sitting in a college lecture when pain like I’d never experienced before sliced through my head. I remember my professor helping me to an office and calling my mom. I begged her not to take me to the hospital, but a few days later, I finally went to the emergency department. When I got there, I found out that my AVM had ruptured and I had suffered a stroke. There was no time left to wait. I had to undergo an extremely risky brain surgery to remove the AVM. There was only one surgeon in the world I trusted to perform the operation, Dr. Lawton.
On May 23, 2019, the day I had been fearing for years finally came. Before I was rolled into the operating room, I hugged my parents and gave them a care package and letter, just in case. Although my surgery went well, part of the AVM was still hidden behind some tissue. That meant I had to go in for a second surgery to remove the rest of it. When I heard the news, I broke down sobbing. I was lucky I had made it through this surgery, and now I had to do it all over again in less than 12 hours. I was terrified that I’d wake up blind, or that I wouldn’t wake up at all. At that point, all I could do was put my faith in Dr. Lawton.
To my great surprise and elation, I woke up with no major deficits. But I still had a lot of healing ahead of me. I don’t know how I would have made it through those first few days without the kindness and compassion of the Barrow Neuro-ICU nurses. One nurse in particular, Virginia Prendergast, PhD, really had an impact on me. We talked about my desire to go to nursing school and she validated that nursing was the career path for me. On my last day at Barrow, we made a pact that I would come back one day and share my story.
In October 2022, I did just that, speaking at the Barrow Neuroscience Nursing Symposium. Things had changed so much since I was last there. I had graduated from nursing school and was on my way to achieving my dream of becoming a pediatric ICU nurse, helping other children just like my nurses helped me. I no longer put off planning for the future because I know I have a long, bright one ahead of me. I have Dr. Lawton and everyone at Barrow who cared for me to thank for that.
With gratitude,
Joey Jean Farmer
Grateful Barrow Neurological Institute Patient
Please join me in supporting the incredible work of the Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center. Led by Dr. Lawton, the Center aims to develop new, more effective, and less invasive treatments for aneurysms and AVMs, so more patients like me have the chance to achieve their dreams. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to aneurysm and AVM research at Barrow. All gifts will be matched up to $100,000.
