Brain Aneurysm Stories
Life Throws a Curve Ball
Life sometimes takes you down a path you didn't plan. Just when you think you know where you’re headed, that’s usually when life throws you the pitch you weren’t prepared for. My curve ball came October 26, 2006, just four weeks before the fairytale wedding I had dreamed of since I was a little girl. Just the evening before, my father and me had spent hours on the phone discussing all the details, including the very song that would play as he was would walk me down the aisle. My life was about to change forever and I didn’t even know it. At 10:13 the following morning, I received a call from my brother, Lance, telling me that Dad was on life support and not expected to make it through the night. Our father is former major league knuckleball pitcher, Joe Niekro, a 22 year baseball veteran and one of the most recognized pitchers in history. Life as I knew it, was family and baseball and Dad had always been my hero, both on and off the field.
It wasn’t until I arrived to the hospital that the family discovered Dad had experienced a ruptured brain aneurysm, a blood vessel in his brain had burst, leaving him unresponsive, brain dead, with no chance of recovery. Within hours, I was handed my father’s death certificate and leaving the hospital trying to make sense of what had just happened. As weeks went by, emotions cycled and reality set it, I wanted to know all I could of this enemy that took my father’s life, so I researched every medical journal she could get her hands on. Not only did I find there was a lack of funding for aneurysm research but that aneurysms effect 1 in 15 Americans. It was then that I knew my path in life had changed and I needed to do something to stop these sudden killers. I left the corporate world to take on a venture that would change my life (and others) forever and started The Joe Niekro Foundation, a 501 c-3 organization, committed to the awareness and funding for aneurysm rsearch, treatment and education. In less than two years, The Joe Niekro Foundation has raised over $600,000, with plans to raise over $1 million this year alone. This is only the beginning and with every step, I know Dad is right beside me. Keeping my father’s legacy alive is part of the magic that makes this foundation not only successful, but undeniably unique. And today, I know that Dad is with me every step of the way and is the strength that I need as I bring together others to join me in the fight. I love you Dad!
Natalie Niekro
President and Founder
The Joe Niekro Foundation
PO Box 2876
Scottsdale, AZ 85252-2876
602-318-1013 Fax 480-323-2876
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Nothing on this website should, in any way be considered medical advice. It is presented as general information only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any type of medical condition. I am not a doctor, nurse, or any other type of medical or health care professional. Nor am I an expert on Aneurysms. However, I am an expert on the experience of having suffered a ruptured Aneurysm and the subsequent treatment I received. This site should not be considered to be, nor is it intended to be, a definitive source of information regarding Aneurysms. I have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of any information presented here, but again, I am not a medical professional and my own interpretation of this information could be in error.