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Brain Hemorrhage Threatens 8-year-old Boy’s Ability to Walk, Talk or See Again

During a normal day at the neighborhood pool, eight-year-old Blake began exhibiting signs of a brain hemorrhage. He was quickly transported to the ER where family, friends, and medical staff prayed earnestly for his full recovery. Read Transcript


- He was in so much pain.

He just didn't want me to touch him.

- He starts crying.

He's getting very agitated.

He couldn't lay back.

- [Reporter] Mark and CarolineCollie's eight-year-old son,

Blake had been playingin the neighborhood pool

just a few minutes when he was

struck by a crippling headache.

- When he started throwing up,

that's when I said we're going to the ER.

- [Reporter] By the time they arrived

at the closest emergencyroom in Washington,

North Carolina, Blake was unresponsive.

- I immediately turned toGod and "Just please, Lord,

Please don't let this be the last day

that we have this child with us.

- [Reporter] A CT scan showed

Blake had a massive brain hemorrhage.

He was airlifted toMaynard Children's Hospital

in Greenville, North Carolina,for emergency surgery.

- We immediately got on to social media,

please, please pray for Blake.

- God, this is, this is big.

No matter what happens,I'm gonna to turn to you

- [Reporter] At Maynard,neurosurgeon, Dr. Richard Dalyai

explained that Blake'smost immediate danger

was the growing pressure on his brain.

- Blake was very sick andthere was a high likelihood

that this would be alife-threatening hemorrhage.

It was deep in his brainand it was filling up

the fluid pockets, the ventriclesthat we have in our brain.

That was Blake's initial extreme injury

that needed to be fixed emergently.

- [Reporter] Dr. Dalyai'steam installed drains

in Blake skull to help remove excess blood

and relieve the pressure.

After the procedure, Markand Caroline were able

to see their son now ina medically induced coma.

- You go from a bright younglad standing before you

and the next moment he's lyingin an intensive care unit,

with so many linescoming in and out of him,

I'm just so glad to seehim better, he's alive.

- [Reporter] The next day Dr. Dalyai found

and successfully removedthe source of the bleeding.

An arterial venous malformation

or AVM had ruptured and caused a stroke.

However, the pressure on Blake's brain

was still critically high and it would

take weeks to drain the excess blood.

- There's a range of possibilities.

When somebody that's that sick,

they could not survive,they can do very well,

and then there's unfortunatelywith neurologic injuries

there's a lot of gray area, there's a lot

along that spectrum of how people can do,

how paralyzed they are, what kind

of functional status or cognitive status.

- We're just saying, okay,"What are we praying for today?

"What are we trusting God for today?

"Let's worship him.

"And let's pray for that thing today."

- We were very much aware

that we might lose our son,

but you kind of take thatthought and you put it on a shelf

and you don't look at it again,

and then you pray and youbelieve that God is good,

and that he's waitingthis out for your good

- [Reporter] By now,people all over the world

were praying for Blake including

members of his medical team.

- You just pray for miraclesbecause this family had been

through so much and youjust want a miracle.

- He actually had some very dark days

and I was praying veryfervently on the way into work.

- [Reporter] By day 16,Blake was stable enough

for an MRI that showedsigns of brain damage

which could mean Blake maynever walk, talk, or see again.

- It was like a gut punch.

It was, it took us to our knees.

- And just upset and so sad and so afraid

that we had prayed, andit was all for nothing.

- [Reporter] Even thenthey continued praying

through the night for a miracle

- That he'll do better than what

the MRI seems that he should be doing,

and if we could just get a thumbs up,

now the whole time knowingthat I didn't truly think

that Blake was capable of that.

- And I went into overus respiratory closet

and I just sat there andI just prayed and prayed,

and then I said, okay, we canget to the rest of the night.

- I was going to keep believing

until there was no scrapof hope left to hold on to.

- We're gonna fight untilthere's nothing left.

- [Reporter] The following day, Dr. Dalyia

brought the Blake of the comajust enough to examine him.

- We said, Hey, Blakey, canyou give me a thumbs up?

And his hand just went up like this.

And I did the classic, I can'tbelieve this just happened.

And I Just screamed, because no one

I knew had prayed for that right?

I screamed out like, "Praise God."

- There was just so much hope inside

that one tiny little gesture.

- [Reporter] Over the next few days,

Blake continued to improve

and doctors were ableto remove the drains.

He would spend the remainderof his 48 day hospital

stay in therapy, relearning how to walk

and talk and regaining his motor skills,

a process that continued formonths after he went home.

By all reports, his progress was amazing.

- He should have had allkinds of delays and the fact

that he can do everythingthat he can do now,

is amazing and it'snothing short of a miracle.

- [Reporter] Today, there'snothing holding Blake back.

His family is grateful forthe expert, medical care,

the prayers of people nearand far, and the love of God.

- I learned the power ofpraying in a way that says,

"God, this is what I've hoped for,"

but at the same time,praying, "Thy will be done."

- I think that prayeris an attitude of life.

It's welcoming Jesus and the Holy spirit

and God into your life at every moment.

(bright engaging music)

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