Overview

• For nearly two decades, Alicja Faryniarz’s severe headaches and fainting episodes were dismissed by GPs as stress or sinus issues without any neurological imaging.
• During an end-of-summer tennis competition on September 3, 2024, her three-inch brain AVM ruptured, causing a stroke that paralysed the right side of her body and left her in a coma.
• Following acute care at St Peter’s and St George’s hospitals and rehabilitation at Woking Community Hospital, she now speaks and moves her right arm but relies on a walking stick or wheelchair to get around.
• Brain arteriovenous malformations affect fewer than 1% of people in the UK yet can be identified with routine CT or MRI scans to prevent life-altering ruptures.
• One year on, Alicja Faryniarz is campaigning to boost awareness of AVM dangers and to encourage doctors to order scans for patients with unexplained neurological symptoms.