Woman survives after her 'brain explodes' while watching TV

A woman's 'brain exploded' while she was watching television.

Now, Chloe Gallagher, who was 15 at the time of the incident, is being called a "miracle patient" by doctors who thought that the aneurysm she suffered in June 2010 would kill her.

A young girl posing in front of a webcam. Credit: MDWfeatures

She realized that something was wrong when, on returning from school, she sat down to watch TV and noticed that her vision was blurry.

"I came home from school that day, did some homework, then was watching TV in my parents' room and was on my phone texting some friends," Chloe said, MDWfeatures reports.

A woman with stitches in her skull. Credit: MDWfeatures

"Suddenly, the TV screen and my mobile phone screen were blurry, and my head felt like it was going to explode. It literally felt like it was going to explode," she continued.

"I can't even describe to you the pain I felt that day. I got up to go to the phone in the kitchen since I couldn't see the screen on my phone, but when I stood up out of the bed, I fell. It was then I realized I couldn't walk."

Chloe, who was alone at the time, managed to phone her dad for help.

"I have no idea how, it must have been muscle memory, but I dialed my dad's phone number. I didn't know it but at that point, I was just screaming," she said.

A woman smiling in a hospital bed. Credit: MDWFeatures

As he made his way to her, Chloe's dad phoned her brother, who arrived first. He called an ambulance, and by the time medical assistance arrived, she had crawled up into a ball on the floor and was screaming.

It did not take long for doctors to inform the 15-year-old that she had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. A CT scan then revealed that her brain was "full of blood" and she then had to be put into a coma for three days.

During this time, Chloe's parents were told to expect the worst. Even if she managed to survive, doctors predicted that she would be left with permanent brain damage.

A close up of stitches in a woman's head. Credit: MDWFeatures

The Brian Aneurysm Foundation estimates that ruptures happen to eight to 10 out of every 100,000 people who have an aneurysm.

"When I awoke from the coma, I was surrounded by doctors, nurses, and family and all I saw was tears of joy on everybody's faces but I couldn't understand why," Chloe continued.

"Once they told me what had happened, I just cried and hugged my family. I then started immediately asking questions. Why? Did I do something to cause this? What do we do now?'

"I was in intense pain after waking up from the coma, I had double vision and was cross-eyed. The double vision went away, the left side gradually improved slightly, but to this day I still have left peripheral vision loss."

A woman doing a thumbs up from a hospital bed. Credit: MDWFeatures

While Chloe did recover, she did not emerge entirely unscathed. Prior to being put in a coma, she underwent an emergency decompressive craniotomy to reduce the swelling in her brain and had a bone flap the size of her hand removed.

The NHS reports that half of the people who end up in Chloe's precarious position die within two weeks.

In addition to suffering peripheral vision loss, Chloe developed epilepsy and has suffered between 10 and 15 seizures.

Chloe, who is now 24, has also had to have more survey including another bone flap removal.

A woman smiling with a bandage around her head. Credit: MDWFeatures

She recently underwent her last surgery on April 4, 2019, at University Hospital in London, Ontario.

"Honestly, looking back, every time I thought I went through the toughest part, something else would happen that would replace it," she said.

"Every time I thought it was over, something new would happen; a complication, an infection, a surgery, a seizure, having to stop school."

A woman taking a selfie in nurse's scrubs. Credit: MDWFeatures

Now, the brave young woman is looking to the future and hopes to become a nurse. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Chloe all the best for the future.