Jessa’s Journey

It’s been 4 months since the lives of the Ryan Family changed forever.

On November 16th, Jessa Ryan, at just 27 years of age, unknowingly had a Grade 5 brain aneurysm that ruptured, caused her to have a stroke, and sent her into cardiac arrest. Luckily, Alyson and Steve were with her when it happened as 90% of people with this type of injury do not survive. She was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where she was stabilized through lifesaving emergency care before being life flighted to Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience. Here she immediately underwent emergency surgery to resolve the aneurysm but suffered many complications that caused her to undergo several procedures, interventions, testing, and additional surgeries. Most days it was touch and go and the emotional roller coaster was excruciating for her family. Time and time again, Jessa’s amazing strength and resilience surprised her care team and enabled her to overcome so much. Through it all, her family never left her side. For almost 2 months, she remained on a ventilator. On January 22nd, finally able to be weaned from the vent, she was transferred to the Drucker Brain Injury Center at Jefferson Moss-McGee Rehabilitation. Unfortunately, just 12 days later, Jessa was readmitted to Jefferson. After receiving phenomenal care from her favorite North Side 8^th floor team, Jessa was transferred back to Drucker where she remains, awaiting the day she is discharged and back at home with her parents.