Maegan’s Story
Hello, my name is Maegan Johnson and I am 13 years old from Phenix City, Alabama. At 6am on December 22, 2008 I woke up to a horrible headache and was tired so I layed back down. My head kept hurting so I woke my mama up. I felt sick so I ran to the bathroom. My mama began to give me some Tylenol when I collapsed in her arms. She stood me up and laid me on the couch with my daddy when I fell asleep and was asleep for months. I went to the Medical Center and I had an MRI, found I had a Ruptured AVM. The Doctor told my parents that I had so much fluid and blood in my head that if I didnt get to a hospital to have a drain tube inserted in less than 45 minutes, I would die. I was airlifted to Scottish Rite Childrens Hospital in Atlanta. The first week I was in critical condition, lifeless. The doctors said I would not live another week. On December 28, I went to Emory Hospital to have the AVM sealed. On December 29, I had a 10 hour surgery to remove the AVM, during those 10 hours I went to heaven. I met Jesus and my Mama’s MawMaw, who passed away 2 years before I was born and I was able to see my best friend and her Mama again who passed away on November 25, 2008. The doctors tried to see if I could have the surgery and the drain tube and more equipment instead of having to put a shunt in my head, but they had to put the shunt in. During one of the many angiograms, I had a stroke and it at that time paralyzed my left side which now its just affected. I am almost completely blind in my left eye, I lost 20% after the stroke which it has gotten worse. My left arm used to fly back like a broken bird wing but now its like a “vegetable” and I wear an AFO on my left leg. The doctor then said if I live any longer I would never walk nor talk ever again. My twin sister didn’t really know what was going on, all she knew was her sister was dying and her parents were 2 hours away in Atlanta. She, my older sister and my grandmother would come up to the hospital every weekend. Every day when Morgan would get home from school she would call my mama and ask to speak to me even though I couldn’t hear her and couldn’t talk back she just wanted to hear me breathe. One day my BP was very high and nothing could bring it down, Morgan called and sang to me and it brought my BP down. On January 26, the Georgia Cheerleaders cane to the hospital to see everyone and I was still asleep, they started singing and playing music and when the song Toxic by Britney Spears came on, I woke up and started dancing in the hospital bed. A doctor put me on Ritalin to try and build my voice up and it worked I started talking a month after he put me on it. I spent 4 1/2 months in Atlanta and now are free. I was the first child at Children’s that had an AVM to Rupture. 6 year survivor, it feels good but it also kind of hurts because I cant read and comprehend what I read, I don’t focus like 13 year olds do, Im on more of a 5 year old brain level. And of course I have problems with my disability. Now I am battling Scoliosis, Chronic/Arthritis/Bursitis in Back Pain and Sciatic Nerve Pain. I have had to deal with bullies for 6 years but they couldn’t have been any stronger than I was and they dont know the pain I go through every day. I am blessed to be alive and I am blessed to walk “funny” with my AFO as 8th graders put it! I have shared my story with over 800 people and plus the people that already know my story. I have gotten my story to many Christian bands. I just love sharing my story and reading other survivors stories!
1 Timothy 4:12