A MESSAGE FROM Menina's Page
Friends and Family,
I am thrilled to be running the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon on November 3rd in honour of my husband, Matthew Castel, and to raise awareness and funds for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF).
Matt loves to run. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt began running with me every day. At first, Matt struggled to keep up but it didn't take long before I found myself chasing him! I would find another gear watching as Matt got into his “flow state” as he would describe it - chasing the sunset and smiling as his favorite songs carried him to Arcadia. We had a playful competitiveness and would often race each other home. Although at times it pained me to know that I was no longer, undoubtedly, the faster runner, I loved running with Matt.
Those who know Matt wouldn’t be surprised to hear that when faced with adversity, he rises to the occasion and embraces it as an opportunity to explore his limits and discover what he is capable of. Matt is always ready to persevere, which is exactly what he did after suffering two serious strokes due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.
In December 2022, just a few months after we got married, and while in the best shape of his life, Matt suddenly collapsed during a basketball game. The next several months were very difficult yet strangely beautiful as I witnessed Matt undergo over 30 hours of brain surgery and wake up from a coma unable to move, write or speak.
I watched as Matt - with an indescribable amount of courage, strength and perseverance - learned how to speak, write, walk and live again.
Matt continues on his journey of healing and recovery but there is no doubt in our minds that his amazing progress to date is in part due to the world class care provided by the Neurosurgery Team at Toronto Western Hospital, as well as the love that surrounds Matt everyday, both in person and in spirit. This run is not only dedicated to Matt, but to everyone who played a part in our journey.
It will always be the greatest joy of my life to live each day with Matt.
According to the BAF, a brain aneurysm is a weak, bulging area in an artery in the brain, analogous to a thin balloon or a weak spot on a tire’s inner tube. Because its walls may be weak and thin, an aneurysm is at risk of rupturing. If an aneurysm ruptures, blood spills into the space between the skull and the brain, causing a serious type of stroke known as a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH).
1 in 50 people has an unruptured aneurysm. That equals 800,000 people in Canada. 3,800 people in Canada suffer a rupture each year.
50% of people who suffer a ruptured brain aneurysm do not survive.
Please support me in my quest to change those statistics by supporting the Brain Aneurysm Foundation in their mission to spread awareness and save lives. Brain aneurysms are beatable and treatable if detected early.
I encourage everyone to learn and be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms by visiting these resources:
Thank you for your time and support. Just through reading this message, you are more aware and awareness saves lives.
“Race you home!”
Menina
