For years I carried two backpacks. One with my volleyball gear, and one with my supplies for school. Although the fashion statement was questionable, I wore them with pride because I believed it spoke to who I was, an athlete, a student, a hard worker, and the girl who could do it all. For years I carried two backpacks,…
I’ve been through so much in the past eight years, and I’m still here. I want to share my story to encourage others to listen to their bodies and not give up. Keep searching until you find the appropriate medical help for yourself and your family members. It started in 2011 when I began having major colon and stomach…
My father died of an aortic dissection when I was seven years old. For thirty years, none of us knew why. The turning point was when my own son was born in 2014. My son, Alex, had some complications at birth and was on a feeding tube for several months after he was born. He was aspirating when drinking…
My story with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) began in 2007, after a maxillary artery emergency and a thoracic aneurysm left me with more questions and no answers. For nine years, I sought out several medical consultations, spent countless hours doing my own research, and ultimately found a supportive physician and colleague who referred my daughter and me for genetic…
My name is Liz Gardner, and I am 30 years old. A year ago, I was working as a social worker at a job I loved, living with friends, and driving. I was previously diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) in 2016 due to beads of aneurysms in my legs, but otherwise my life was normal. That all changed when…
My name is Dan Sperry. I live in northern New Jersey. I have a beautiful wife named Melissa and an awesome son named DJ. In September of 2019, I brought myself to the hospital with intense pain in the middle of my abdomen, which I assumed was food poisoning. It turned out that I had a saccular Abdominal Aortic…
My brother, Zach, was only 39 years old when he suddenly passed away from a severe, instant aortic dissection. It was fast and nothing could have been done to save him. I do take comfort in that. After his passing, the questions arose; “Why did a seemingly healthy, young guy pass away from something that typically happens to people…
In 2013, I was serving my sixth year in the United States Coast Guard. One day in June we needed to move some 2000lb pipes via a crane. I was on one end of this pipe holding a line and needed to pull on the pipe to keep it from swinging and killing the crane operator. It turned out…
Dominick Corso was diagnosed earlier this year with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS), and quickly became involved in the community through virtual support groups and by engaging with the online community on Facebook. Just a few weeks ago, Dominick experienced an emergency. While getting ready for a day on a boat with his family, he started feeling pain and discomfort…
When I was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) 10 years ago, following a traumatic vascular event, my family was handed a piece of paper printed off of google and told, “good luck.”I remember thinking, “half a page on the internet is the best they could do?” It is almost impossible to believe now, in the age of the…
