For the first 17 years of her life, Hannah Strickland battled severe migraines that caused crippling pain, nausea, and fatigue. Medications became a constant part of her life, but nothing could alleviate the pounding in her head.
In early 2021, a seemingly minor concussion triggered an avalanche of symptoms that refused to relent. After visiting a concussion clinic, Hannah was referred to Health Sciences Centre (HSC) neurosurgeon Dr. Perry Dhaliwal.
An MRI in May 2021 finally provided answers. Dr. Dhaliwal diagnosed Hannah with a neurological condition where part of the brain extends into the spinal canal. Hannah’s brainstem had herniated 17 millimetres into her spinal column. When the concussion caused her brain to swell, there was no room for it to expand, causing the brainstem to become pinched between the vertebrae in her neck.
The pressure on her brain and spinal cord caused chronic pain, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and difficulty with basic daily activities. Hannah needed surgery—fast. In 2023, just days before her 20th birthday, Hannah underwent a four-hour brain surgery. Dr. Dhaliwal removed a portion of the back of her skull and a vertebra in her neck to create more space for her brainstem. A procedure was then performed to allow more room for her brain to expand.
Less than 48 hours later, Hannah was discharged. As she recovered, the pain and symptoms she had experienced for most of her life began to fade. For the first time in years, she no longer needed the medications she had relied on just to get through the day.
Since her surgery, Hannah has gone cliff jumping, snowboarding, and attended music festivals—things she once thought she might never do again. She graduated with honours from a health care aide program and now works at a hospital, caring for others in the same way she was cared for.
This fall, Hannah will begin her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, with the goal of becoming a Registered Nurse.
The compassionate care Hannah received at HSC didn’t just change her health—it gave her future back.
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