Spring Break
Life has its challenges
A stroke during her senior year of high school forces Aubrey White to approach life at A&M differently.
By: Calli Turner
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: News
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When White was a senior in high school, one of her greatest passions was dancing. She was a member of the drill team, the Stingerettes, and took dance lessons. It was during one of these dance sessions that the unthinkable happened. She had a stroke.
"It's been over four years, it will be five years next Nov. 14," she said. "I remember that day well."
While performing a routine, her leg gave out and she could no longer feel it. Before long, she was not conscious of her surroundings.
She was rushed to the hospital and underwent brain surgery to stop the bleeding from a massive brain hemorrhage. She was induced into what should have been a 10 to 14 day coma. Her body was unwilling to go dormant because her body fat percentage was so low that the anesthesia was not properly absorbed. Therefore, she did not stay in the coma as expected.
White left the ICU in 10 days. She spent six weeks at the rehab hospital in Baylor-Dallas. She left the rehab hospital on Christmas Eve and returned to school for approximately two months before going to the University of Texas-Southwestern Hospital.
At UT-Southwestern, the malformation that caused the stroke was removed. She left the hospital after two weeks, and the four years since have been filled with rehabilitation.
White stayed home her freshman year at Rockwall, Texas, and attended community college. She transferred to Blinn in the fall of 2006 and began physical therapy at St. Joseph's Outpatient Therapy.
White transferred to Texas A&M in the spring of 2007. It was a transition she had been anticipating.
"It was really exciting because I had applied to A&M initially before the stroke," she said. "I had already sent in my application and everything and I couldn't go. This is where I wanted to go from the beginning," she said.
White said the size of Aggieland was intimidating at first.
"I got used to it pretty fast," she said. "I had to."
She said it helped that her handicap placard allows her to park anywhere on campus other than parking garages and gated areas.
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