The Beginning

Where to begin...

My mom, Denise Israels, is a fighter.  She is the strongest woman I know.  She takes care of her family, she helps raise her granddaughter and she loves unconditionally.


On May 24, 2014, she suffered a bleed in her brain.  After many tests we have come to find out that she has a large hematoma (pocket of blood) on the right side of her brain and due to the swelling has affected the movement on the left side of her body.

She also had subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain.)  

Another issue that they found during testing is a vertebral artery dissection.  From Wikipedia: “Vertebral artery dissection is a dissection (a flap-like tear) of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow.”

At this point the doctors are trying to figure out what the next course of action is. Normally in order to release the blockage of the Vertebral Artery Dissection they would use high doses of blood thinners to help break up the blockage but they can’t do that because that will increase the blood in her hematoma.

We know that we are at the best hospital for this kind of medical condition and have the best doctors on her case. 

She is currently in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), is sedated and on a ventilator. They want to allow her brain to heal and give her plenty of rest.

We don’t know true causes yet – could be stroke, high blood pressure, tumor, aneurysm... the list goes on. At this point we are just hoping that they will make a plan to move forward and help her heal.

Please pray for peace and wisdom for our family. God’s plan and timing is perfect but hard for us to understand at times.

Jeremiah 17:14

“Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

We praise you Jesus!

Our last family shot at Victoria's bridal shower during the early afternoon of May 24.