SHAYNA: THE DOCTORS AT THE
BARROW NEUROLOGICAL INSTITUTE IN
PHOENIX HAD A PLAN OR VANESSA.
NEXT THEY FELT WHILE THIS WAS A
COMPLICATED CASE, IT WASN'T A
CASE THAT CANNOT BE TREATED.
THAT WAS EYE-OPENING, THAT AT
THAT POINT THE DECISION BECAME
MINE.
WHEN YOU RELY ON THE POSITIONS
TO GIVE YOU MEDICAL ADVICE,
THERAPY -- THEY ARE THE EXPERTS,
BUT BECAUSE AVM'S ARE SO RARE
AND UNIQUE, IT WAS REALLY UP TO
ME HOW I WANTED TO PROCEED.
SHAYNA: WEEKS LATER, VANESSA,
HER HUSBAND, AND THEIR TWO YOUNG
CHILDREN PACKED UP AND MOVED
WEST OF THE MONTH.
SURGEON WOULD BE THE CENTERS
PRESIDENT AND CEO.
>> THE WAY HE DESCRIBED IT WAS
LIKE, I'VE DONE 750 OF THESE
SURGERIES.
I FELT PRETTY COMFORTABLE SHE
WOULD BE UP TO DO IT.
I KNEW IT WOULD BE A REALLY
ROUGH ROAD TO GET THROUGH IT.
SHAYNA: DID YOU SAY GOODBYE TO
YOUR KIDS HERE?
>> MY HUSBAND AND I HAD THOSE
DISCUSSIONS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO
HAVE, THE WHAT IF DISCUSSION.
WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE
WE KNEW IT WAS REALITY.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOES IN
THE OPERATING ROOM.
SHAYNA: AT 7:00 A.M., VANESSA
GARZA WAS WHEELED INTO SURGERY.
>> THOSE FEW MOMENTS WHERE YOU
ARE NOT GETTING THE UPDATES FROM
THE DOCTORS AND YOU START
THINKING ABOUT WHAT COULD GO
WRONG, THAT WAS TOUGH.
SHAYNA: 10 HOURS LATER, DR.
LAWTON GAVE RYAN THE NEWS, IT
HAD GONE WELL.
AND SO DID VANESSA'S RECOVERY.
THEY RETURNED HOME, BUT THEN --
>> WE WERE READING STORIES TO
OUR KIDS AT BEDTIME.
SHE KIND OF SAT UP AND SAID
SOMETHING, AND IT JUST DIDN'T
FIT.
THEN SHE STARTED HAVING A
SEIZURE.
THAT WAS WORSE THAN THE SURGERY,
FROM MY STANDPOINT.
SHAYNA: SURGERY HAD GONE WELL
FOR LEEANN, BUT REMEMBER, SHE
SUFFERED A STROKE BEFORE HAND.
HER RECUPERATION WAS NO WALK IN
THE PARK.
AFTER SPENDING TWO WEEKS AT
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, SHE WAS
SICK HERE TO SPAULDING REHAB.
>> IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING.
YOU ARE 18.
I JUST WANTED TO BE LAUGHING
WITH MY FRIENDS, GOING OUT.
NOW I'M IN THE HOSPITAL TRYING
TO LEARN HOW TO WALK AND TALK
AND USE MY RIGHT SIDE.
SHAYNA: HER SCHEDULE WAS
GRUELING.
FOUR HOURS A DAY WORKING WITH
PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL, AND
SPEECH THERAPIST.
>> I COULDN'T SPEAK AT ALL.
THAT WAS THE WORST PART.
I COULDN'T TELL PEOPLE HOW I WAS
FEELING.
SHAYNA: HER CONCERNED PARENTS
COULD ONLY WATCH.
>> YOU DON'T KNOW, IS SHE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO WALK?
WHAT IF SHE CANNOT WALK AGAIN?
WE ARE A TWO INCOME FAMILY.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO SURVIVE?
HOW IS SHE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF
HERSELF?
SHE COULD WALK AND TALK.
SHAYNA: LEANNE WAS DETERMINED TO
RECOVER.
>> MY FAMILY WAS AWESOME.
I COULD SAY WHATEVER I WANTED,
EVEN IF IT CAME OUT WRONG, AND
IT WAS LIKE A FUNNY THING.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING TO FEEL BAD
ABOUT.
AFTER A WHILE, IT CAME.
IT CAME.
SHAYNA: WALKING CAME OF IT
EASIER.
>> IT WAS A GOOD THREE WEEKS
BEFORE I EVEN TOOK MY FIRST
STEP.
THAT CAME VERY FAST.
MY RIGHT ARM AND MY HAND ARE
STILL LIMITED, BUT THAT WAS THE
HARDEST PART, TO GET EVEN CLOSE
TO EVEN DO ANYTHING.
SHAYNA: AND TWO MONTHS AFTER
SURGERY, LEANNE WENT HOME.
BUT HER TREATMENT WAS FAR FROM
FINISHED.
>> THERAPY WITH EVERY DAY, FOR
ABOUT 2.5 OR THREE YEARS.
IT WAS HARD.
I WAS SO TIRED, I JUST WANTED TO
GO HOME, BUT I KEPT GOING.
AFTER A WHILE, YOU SEE RESULTS,
AND YOU SEE CHANGES.
I JUST WANTED TO GET BETTER.
I WANTED TO BE AS CLOSE AS
POSSIBLE TO MY REAL, NORMAL
SELF.
SHAYNA: SEVEN YEARS LATER --
>> I GO TO THE GYM ALL THE TIME.
I CAN DO REALLY ANYTHING.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS LIKE TYING MY
SHOES, CUTTING FOOD IS
CHALLENGING.
WRITING IS HARD, BUT, YOU KNOW,
I DO IT.
I'M DIFFERENT THAN I WAS BEFORE.
I AM A NEW DIFFERENT.
I AM A PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW,
THAT CAME THROUGH A LOT, AND I
THINK I'M THERE.
I AM THERE.
ANTHONY: LEANNE STILL WORKS
REALLY HARD AND STILL SEES
IMPROVEMENT.
SHAYNA: SHE WANTS TO WORK IN THE
WORLD OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND
SHE ALSO VOLUNTEERS AT SPAULDING
REHAB.
ANTHONY: AFTER SURGERY FOR
VANESSA, A SHOCK.