Episode 10: From PICU to College: Kaya’s Incredible AVM Recovery

In this episode of FEARLESS, Kilene sits down with Tiffany, a mother whose daughter Kaya experienced a sudden AVM rupture at just nine years old.What began as an ordinary day quickly turned into every parent’s nightmare. With no warning signs, Kaya collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital, eventually being airlifted to Duke for emergency brain surgery. Doctors warned Tiffany and her husband that the outcome was uncertain and that Kaya might not survive.But Kaya’s story didn’t end there.Tiffany shares what those terrifying hours and days were like in the PICU, the long road of recovery that followed, and the small milestones that meant everything along the way—from Kaya’s first words after being extubated to learning to walk again.Nine years later, Kaya is thriving and attending her dream school, Florida State University.Together, Kilene and Tiffany talk about the emotional impact of traumatic brain injury on families, the challenges siblings face, and the lessons that come from surviving something that changes your life forever.For parents walking a similar path, Tiffany offers one piece of advice: focus on the baby steps.Because sometimes the smallest victories are the ones that matter most.