This is the moment a father of three suffers a sudden brain hemorrhage that kills up to 50 percent of patients.
Thomas Gallagher, from Michigan, was drinking water in the kitchen after a day outdoors when he suddenly felt a “barbaric” pain that shot through his head and the back of his neck.
After collapsing on his son’s bed and screaming in pain, he was rushed to hospital and then airlifted to a nearby unit, where he was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or bleeding between the brain and the brain lining.
His wife, Grace, said she feared that when her husband was airlifted to hospital, she would never see him again.
Thomas Gallagher of Michigan had been spending a family day with his four-year-old son, Auggie, hours before the sudden brain hemorrhage.
She wrote on Instagram: ‘As the helicopter doors closed, I thought it might be the last time I would see him.
‘Basically, all I was reading was that Tom was about to die.’
Subarachnoid hemorrhages are so deadly because they can cause other blood vessels to narrow, reducing blood flow to the organ and causing a stroke.
They can also put pressure on the brain, increasing the risk of blood vessels within the organ bursting.
Bleeding is often caused by a weakened blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the space between the brain and its protective membrane.
The main symptom this causes is a sudden and severe headache, which can be confused with other conditions and take hours to diagnose.
Treatment usually involves surgery, in which a neurosurgeon closes the broken blood vessel to stop the bleeding.
Thomas Gallagher is pictured above after suffering a brain hemorrhage and experiencing the symptom of a sudden and severe headache.
Mr Gallagher is pictured above in hospital with his wife Grace as she recovers from her medical episode.
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The American Heart Association Journal has published a study Warning that the mortality rate of this disease is between 22 and 50 percent.
In many cases, survivors suffer long-term complications, including paralysis and problems with memory and concentration.
Approximately 28,000 people suffer strokes each year, usually between the ages of 40 and 60 (a quarter of patients are under 45).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the most common cause of this condition in younger age groups is car accidents. High blood pressure, smoking, and a family history of the condition can also increase the risk of developing it.
Previously, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, also suffered from this brain haemorrhage, which began just after she had finished filming the first series.
He had a three-hour emergency surgery and afterwards suffered excruciating pain, vision problems and aphasia (a brain damage that affects a person’s ability to speak and write). At one point, he couldn’t remember his own name.
Ms Gallagher revealed the family had been on a fishing trip with her eldest son, four-year-old Auggie, in the hours before the sudden stroke.
Security cameras at the home captured the moment of the heart attack and the family’s rapid reaction.
Mr Gallagher spent ten days in ICU receiving treatment but has now been discharged and sent home to recover.
His wife says he now has “many limitations,” including in his strength, endurance and coordination.
The children, including Murphy, two, and Lottie, one, are said to be very patient with their father and helping him with his recovery.
He is not expected to be able to return to running the small family business, which is now said to be closing permanently.
Revealing their battle online, the family is now asking for donations to help cover medical costs through GoFundMe.
So far they have raised $4,200 of the $5,500 goal.
Mr Gallagher had previously suffered regular migraines but had never suffered a serious brain bleed.
