Chadderton brain aneurysm survivor Maria gives back to help fellow patients

A brain aneurysm survivor whose doctors said wouldn’t make it, is defying all expectations just 18 months on from a devastating brain bleed caused by an aneurysm rupture.

Maria, who lives in Chadderton, was just 57 when she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm at home in January 2024.

She was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital, where doctors initially warned her family she might not survive surgery.

Against the odds, surgeons operated and saved her life but her family were told that even if she survived, she would likely be left severely disabled.

Physiotherapists at the Floyd Unit Neurorehabilitation Centre, based at Birch Hospital in Rochdale, where she was transferred after her operation, noticed she was not progressing and suspected fluid on the brain.

Scans confirmed it, and a shunt was fitted.

“It was like I woke up again,” Maria recalls.

“I felt like I’d been asleep.

"My family couldn’t believe the difference.”

She believes determination also shaped her recovery.

Staff told her they had never seen anyone recover quite like she had.

“I made myself get up and walk, even when it was hard. I joined in with everything I could and pushed myself a little bit each day,” she said.

“For me, recovery is about mindset.

"You’ve got to keep going, keep believing you can do more, and not give up.”

Today, Maria is back driving again and enjoying time with her grandchildren as well as volunteering at the Floyd Unit, the very rehab centre where she recovered.

Not only does she visit patients, helps in group activities, and gives encouragement from her own lived experience, she also helped to transform the centre’s garden with support from her employer, her family and friends.

“When new patients come in and see me walking, driving, back at work, it gives them hope,” Maria added.

“I want them to know recovery is possible.

"For me, volunteering is my way of giving back to the place that did so much for me.”

Maria also believes charities like HBA Support, a brain aneurysm charity who have been a source of information and support for Maria after she was back at home, play a vital role in supporting people who have been affected by brain aneurysm, a silent condition not often talked about.

“When it happened to me, my family were in such a dark place,” she said.

“Organisations like HBA Support give people hope, connection and knowledge. Nobody should have to go through this without help.”

Rebecca Middleton, CEO of Hereditary Brain Aneurysm Support (HBA Support), said: “Brain aneurysms affect thousands of people in the UK each year.

"Awareness and early detection can save lives, but more needs to be done to make people aware of risk and prevention, and to support patients and families.

“Maria’s story is an incredible example of resilience and hope.

"Volunteers like Maria make a huge difference - not just for patients in hospital, but for families everywhere who may be facing this diagnosis.”

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