Anna Lasco was preparing to marry Connor Lasco in Rochester, New York, on September 5 when she suddenly developed symptoms that would turn her wedding ceremony into the beginning of a medical crisis.
Shortly before she was due to walk down the aisle, Anna said she heard a loud buzzing in her left ear. She then experienced a sudden loss of strength in her left leg.
“I had this loud buzzing noise in my left ear. And suddenly my leg, left leg specifically, like, gave out under me,” Anna told WGAL 8.
She also developed severe dizziness, vertigo and changes in her speech.
Her words sounded so different that some people around her reportedly thought she was intoxicated.
Connor Realized Something Was Wrong
Connor noticed that Anna’s condition was not normal as the wedding ceremony was about to begin.
“Her eyes were very wide. And that’s really when I kind of felt something wasn’t normal,” he said.
Anna eventually lost the ability to walk and had to be carried down the aisle by her husband.
The couple completed the ceremony before she was taken to an emergency room.
What initially appeared to be a sudden problem was later identified as a serious vascular injury.
Doctors Diagnosed a Vertebral Artery Dissection
Anna was diagnosed with a left vertebral artery dissection, a tear inside an artery responsible for supplying blood to the brain.
She was subsequently flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where she suffered a stroke and remained hospitalized for several weeks.
According to Dr Faisal Aziz, chief of vascular surgery at Penn State Health, vertebral artery dissection can be difficult to identify because its early symptoms can resemble other conditions.
The injury can begin with sudden dizziness, headaches, vertigo or a feeling of imbalance.
As symptoms progress, patients can experience problems including double or blurred vision, loss of vision, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing.
Dr Aziz said the condition is rare, affecting approximately one to two people per 100,000 each year, and can occur in younger adults without an obvious cause.
Anna Experienced Additional Strokes During Treatment
Connor continued providing updates about Anna’s condition to family members, friends and supporters during her hospitalization.
In one Facebook update, he said the blood clot that initially caused the stroke had been dissolved.
However, two further strokes occurred in different areas of Anna’s brain during the process.
Anna subsequently began physical rehabilitation at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center as she worked to regain her strength.
She was discharged from the hospital on September 22 and returned home to Columbus, Ohio.
Anna Shares Message of Gratitude
After returning home, Anna expressed her appreciation for the support she had received throughout her hospitalization and recovery.
“I’m officially home! I’d like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of love, support, prayers and positive thoughts. I couldn’t be more grateful,” she wrote on Facebook.
She later described the experience as difficult to put into words but said she remained positive and determined.
“I don’t really have the words to describe this experience, nothing really seems adequate. But I will say I’m feeling positive, determined and grateful to be here today,” Anna wrote.
Family Launches Fundraiser for the Couple
Anna and Connor’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical bills and other unexpected expenses arising from the ordeal.
In the fundraiser, relatives described the couple as hardworking and independent people who were more accustomed to helping others than asking for assistance themselves.
“They are usually the helpers. But right now, they need their family, friends, and community beside them,” the family wrote.
The fundraiser had reached about $56,000 toward its $60,000 target.
Couple Plans to Recreate Their Wedding
Despite the circumstances surrounding their original ceremony, Anna and Connor have plans to mark their first anniversary by holding a second wedding celebration.
The couple intends to have a “wedding redo” on September 5 next year, recreating some of the festivities they had originally planned.
The family said the wedding day did not unfold as Anna and Connor had imagined, but described Connor’s presence beside Anna throughout the medical emergency as central to the beginning of their marriage.
