'He's definitely a miracle,' Plymouth teen recovering from brain bleed motivated to give back
PLYMOUTH -- A Plymouth teen who fought to relearn how to walk and talk after a sudden brain bleed now hopes to help others.
John Brennan knows he's been given a second chance at life. "You should never say you hit rock bottom. There is always deeper you can go," Brennan laughed. He speaks from a very painful experience.
One week before his 14th birthday, he was studying in his room when he suffered a brain hemorrhage.
"I walked to the door and fell on my back, uncontrollably seizing," he said.
John was later diagnosed with Moyamoya, a rare cerebrovascular disorder caused by blocked arteries in the base of the brain.
"Even after the surgery he was only given a single-digit percent chance of surviving the first night," his mother Caroline said.
John had to learn how to walk, talk, and swallow all over again at Spaulding Rehab.
"When I got out of rehab I could only string together a few words at my best," he said.
John is now 17 and taking big steps toward improvement. He said the physiological toll the disease had on him was overwhelming but the prayers and support he received made all the difference.
Some even came as far as the International Space Station. "There was a female astronaut in the space station. I don't remember her name but we got words that prayers were being offered closer to heaven," Caroline said.
John now spends five days a week doing OT, PT, and speech therapy. He said this life-changing injury inspired him to give back to families at Spaulding Rehab going through a similar situation.
"I was trying to come from their kid's perspective. Treat them like you would on a normal day. Giving back to the community, the Spaulding community is priceless," he said.
John's goals now are to receive his GED, become an Eagle Scout, and go to college to study psychology.
"God is giving me a second chance at life. If you can dream it, you can do it," he said.
His parents couldn't be more pleased. "He's definitely a miracle," Caroline said.