Brain Stroke & Aneurysm Awareness
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
Brain Stroke & Aneurysm Awareness
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
OUR PURPOSE
JoAnn's Journey has two main purposes:
1. To truly honor the legacy of JoAnn Ransford by doing what she did best; help others through difficult times in their lives, be it family, friend, coworker, or total stranger. JoAnn's warm and open heart was there!
2. We aim to be a trusted resource for those on a similar journey, sharing JoAnn’s experience to raise stroke and aneurysm awareness and provide vital information.
UNDERSTAND | RECOVERY | SUPPORT
This mission is achieved through:
- Educating the public on risk factors, warning signs, and immediate action steps.
- Empowering survivors through rehabilitation programs and support groups.
- Advocating for policy changes that ensure equitable access to stroke and aneurysm care.
- Fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient communities.
By upholding these core values, JoAnn’s Journey strives to create a future free from the devastation of aneurysm and stroke.
How It All Began
On August 7th 2023, our family endured the worst day of our lives. This was the first time I heard the words "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage". I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it wasn't good. Over the course of the next few months, my mother went through multiple surgeries, procedures, tests, progress, and setbacks. Good days, bad days, in between days... Through the pain we suffered, a wealth of knowledge was gained. Through this process, there was no manual, no instructions, no true guidance beyond our natural instincts to survive and do what was best each step of the way for JoAnn's recovery. I took notes, googled terms, medicine, procedures, processes... if the doctors or staff said it, I retained it and researched it. I had to understand... I had to know... I had to be my mothers advocate. I knew her medicine schedule, what pills and IV's did what, what the numbers on the monitors meant, what new equipment was new in her room that day, watched YouTube videos of the procedures they requested to perform, learned to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit. Through this process I was not only determined to get my mother back to her old self, but once this was all over, to find a way to help others navigate tragedy with sound information to make educated decisions by joining the stroke and aneurysm awareness community.