Support for Justin's Medical Recovery Journey

Hello Everyone,

My 41-year-old son, Justin Anderson, recently suffered a spontaneous brain hemorrhage. On February 25, 2025, he was in the back seat of an Uber on the way to his second day on a new job and became unresponsive. The quick-thinking driver pulled over and called 911. Justin was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room, and after a CT scan, a large bleed on the right side of his brain was discovered. He was rushed into surgery for a craniotomy (removal of part of the skull) to release the blood and relieve the pressure on his brain. They then performed an endovascular embolization (a catheter is inserted through an artery in the leg and guided up to the brain to treat the bleed) as it was difficult to locate the source due to the amount of blood.

Justin was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma (brain bleed), which was determined to be due to an AV fistula (an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein) that he most likely was born with but never knew he had. As a result of the amount of blood from the subdural hematoma, pressure was put on his brain, which caused a midline shift and some brain tissue damage. Three ischemic strokes (small to moderate) were found as a result after a post-operative MRI. The most concerning of these is one at the top of his brain stem. It is affecting consciousness and temperature regulation, two things that your brain normally automatically does without you even thinking about it.

Justin remains unconscious, but some positive progression has been seen. However subtle, these changes are huge. He has already beaten the odds by making it to this point. He is young and has a strong heart. He has brain activity. His pupils respond to light, and he has the ability to breathe on his own. He does, however, have a breathing tube in to regulate his breathing if needed. Soon, (hopefully this week), he will have a tracheostomy and a gastrostomy performed and the breathing tube removed. Because of the brain stem stroke, he is going to need much more time to heal and to even open his eyes. How much time? We don't know. Doctors don't know. As much time as he needs. As a mother, I have hope and faith that Justin is strong enough and can recover, but I know he has a very long and tough road ahead of him.

Justin is a smart and kind man. He is my only child. He has a 17-year-old daughter, who he is so proud of and loves dearly. Justin had just started a new job that he was so happy about. Had he been home alone, he would not be here today. Had he not been in the back of that Uber, he would not be here today. He was only in the Uber because he was supposed to come back home from work with his assigned work van. Otherwise, he would have been driving his own car. I am also thankful for the Uber driver's quick response to call 911.

We've set up this GoFundMe campaign to help cover Justin's extensive medical bills, surgeries, treatments, future care, therapy expenses, and also to handle Justin's personal expenses until a disability claim can be opened. At the moment, I travel 300 miles roundtrip to spend time with him and care for his pets, as I live in Southern Delaware and Justin is in the hospital in Abington, PA (he lives in Philadelphia, PA).

We genuinely appreciate any support you can provide, whether it's a donation, sharing this campaign with your friends and family, or simply keeping Justin in your thoughts and prayers. Your kindness means the world to us, and we are deeply grateful for any help during this extremely difficult time.

With heartfelt thanks,

Deborah Anderson