DALLAS — Soccer is part of Sarah Stearns' routine. She's played since she was 3 years old on a club team called Frisco Fusion Soccer.
In September 2019, Sarah was 14 years old. After soccer practice, she went to a church event, when she got a severe headache. She fainted and was taken to the hospital.
Sarah had an intracerebral hemorrhage and was quickly flown to Children's Health in Dallas. She was diagnosed with an arteriovenus malformation (AVM), which caused bleeding in her brain. She couldn't move or talk. Doctors took her to the operating room.
"When I first woke up, they said they don't think I was going to walk again, which was very scary because I play soccer," said Sarah.
The left side of her body was paralyzed. She was worried about losing her favorite hobby, and afraid she wouldn't be able to go back to school.
Sarah underwent multiple surgeries over the months. Then in January, she had radiation to try and dissolve the AVM in her brain.
"It shrunk a lot since January. It shrunk in half," she said.
One of her doctors is Dr. Bradley Weprin. He is the director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery for Children's Health and UT Southwestern.
Weprin said, "It may take anywhere from one to three years for the AVM to be obliterated. She was treated last January. My hope is that within 18 months to 24 months, we will be able to tell her that she is cured."
Sarah had to relearn how to stand and walk. She did physical therapy at Our Children's House and Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Drills and exercises were catered to her soccer skills.
"Once I saw that I was improving, it definitely made me feel better," said Sarah. "I just realized how much a person can go through and come out good."
In August, sooner than expected, she was cleared to play soccer again. It was less than a year after she became partially paralyzed. Sarah is getting stronger every day.
