My name is Mario van der Ree III & I am grateful to have survived a hemorrhage stroke caused by a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
“A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall” – Serena Williams
Save a Life
Use the letters in “fast” to spot stroke signs & know when to call 911
- Face Dropping – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
- Arm Weakness– Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm weak or numb? Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech Difficulty– Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “the sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
- Time to call 9-1-1– If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
About Me
On March 10th, 2018 God along with the Memorial healthcare system honored me with a second opportunity I will never take for granted. My name is Mario van der Ree III & I am grateful to have survived a hemorrhage stroke caused by a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM). My goal is to inspire those in need of hope, through my grueling yet miraculous story.
I am a father, husband, as well as a business professional. Currently, I have my marketing degree & certificates from Florida International University.
On my spare time I enjoy my lovely family, traveling, mentoring, shooting skeet, photography, cinematography, and of course video games.
Blog
My name is Mario van der Ree III & I am grateful to have survived a hemorrhage stroke caused by a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
What is a arteriovenous malformation (AVM)?
Enjoy reading my Blog!
October is AVM Awareness Month!
October is AVM Awareness Month & National Employment Disability Month. In the Organization I currently work for I am a member of the Multigenerational Network under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I was blessed with an opportunity to write and publish an article to share my story for all employees nationwide on our internal page called …
Brain Surgery – Removing a AVM
Two Brain Surgeries!? My sincere apologies, Mario has been on a lengthy hiatus. So many battles and victories have happened since my angiogram on August 31st of 2018. In a nutshell, I had a second brain surgery on Halloween (2018), a seizure this February (2019) which ended my independence for about 6 months (no driving), …
Stroke Alert! – The Wife’s Point of View
Written By: Mariana van der Ree “Stroke alert! Stroke alert! Emergency room…” Those were the only words I heard, as I arrived into the emergency department at Memorial West Hospital. Nurses rushed into a corner room, where my husband was laying on a stretcher being intubated, and I clearly remember the look in everyone’s eyes …