Aneurysm strikes on Easter

Photo: Contributed

A Kelowna man is fighting for his life after an Easter weekend medical incident forced him into a medically induced coma.

Ryan Thorne was enjoying the Easter long weekend when things took a dramatic turn for the worse. Thorne was visiting family in Castlegar on Sunday, when he suffered a series of seizures. 

He was airlifted home to Kelowna, but his condition was quickly escalated once tests determined he had suffered an aneurysm/brain bleed. Thorne and his pregnant wife, Kailee, were then airlifted to Vancouver General  Hospital, where he underwent one surgery Sunday night and another Monday morning.

Doctors say Thorne suffered three aneurysms in total.

Friend Kat Boloten says Thorne is a great guy: "He just stood up and said his head hurt and then he fell down, and now they don't know if he's going to make it."

"We've played ball with them for years, and they are a great couple. Now, with them expecting their first child and now this, we really just want to try and help any way we can."

A GoFundMe page has been set up, and as of Wednesday, the goal of $20,000 had almost been met, with just under $16,000 raised so far.
 
The latest medical information has Thorne listed in stable condition and breathing on his own. The next few days will be critical to his long-term prognosis.

For now, Kailee, who is 32 weeks pregnant, is unable to work and is by her husband's side in Vancouver. "She is going to have the baby in Vancouver now, and for her and Ryan everything has changed," says Boloten.

"He's breathing on his own, but we're not really sure if he's going to recover – and if he does we don't know what that recovery will look like."