Patient Stories

Nancy Jarecki's Story

I could be the luckiest person in the world...the first ambulance that came was NewYork-Presbyterian.

Nancy’s Experience

Ruptured brain aneurysms – literally a blood vessel exploding in the brain – rarely have a happy ending. Forty per cent of people don't survive. The great majority of those who do have severely impaired brain function. Nancy Jarecki is one of the lucky ones – and she credits NewYork-Presbyterian for making the difference. With every passing minute critical, NYP emergency personnel and the neurosurgery team headed by Dr. Philip Stieg worked quickly to stop the bleeding. To reduce the pressure from swelling, they temporarily removed a part of Nancy's skull, then re-attached it when the danger was past. Nancy is not only still alive, she's still Nancy – with an amazing story to tell.