College Senior Returns to U.S. After Brain Hemorrhage on Spring Break Trip with Friends in Mexico

Liza Burke.Photo: GoFundMe

A senior at the University of Georgia is recovering after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on a trip to Mexico for spring break.

She was later diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) at a local hospital, Ritter said. Doctors said the condition triggered the brain bleed, which has left Burke on life support.

More than$138,000 was raisedvia Ritter’s GoFundMe campaign to help pay for Burke’s life-flight transport from Mexico to Jacksonville, Fla.

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AVMs occur when a group of blood vessels are improperlytangled within the body, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website. It is unclear why exactly they form.

Ritter described Burke as a “genuine, dynamic, playful and fierce” young woman on the GoFundMe page, adding, “She has so much left to give to the world.”

McKeithan said her daughter is now able to breathe on her own, though she is still attached to a ventilator for assistance, per the report. She has also been able to squeeze her mom’s hand.

“[Burke is] nothing short of a miracle,” McKeithen told the outlet. “We are told to take things one day at a time and not get our hopes too high, but to have plenty of hope.”

The family is still asking for prayers as Burke undergoes further testing and treatment.

source: people.com