A woman lies in a hospital bed with a bandaged head and closed eyes. The image includes text about Eleanas recovery story and a yellow banner for The Bee Foundation for Brain Aneurysm Prevention.

Eleana Sanding’s Story

My Brain Almost Stopped Me. Now I Help People Love Theirs.

Hi, I’m Eleana Sanding, founder of Go Eleana Go, and I’m on a mission to inspire people to embrace the beauty of life. Major plot twist, though: I had to lose my old life before this was realized, and it wasn’t mostly fun like many endings approaching new beginnings. Before April 2015, I was 22, living fast, and proud of it. I was the kind of person who finished one goal and immediately looked for the next one. Stepping on the breaks wasn’t practical for an unstoppable soul like me who organized events, led student groups, and coordinated an international conference in the Philippines. Running almost entirely on adrenaline; stopping wasn’t simply something I looked forward to. It wasn’t even something I considered.

A group of women and young girls, some in white shirts and others in red, smile and pose outdoors. Several girls hold snacks and gifts while sitting on white chairs. Trees and parked cars are visible in the background.
A group of children and adults smile and pose in front of a sign reading Childrens Joy Foundation Inc. outdoors, with trees and plants in the background.
Eight people stand side by side, smiling at the camera, dressed in business attire with conference badges, in front of a branded event backdrop.

Then one night, I got the worst headache of my life. My speech started to slur. My cousin rushed me to the ER, and within hours, I was in emergency brain surgery for a ruptured brain aneurysm! I woke up two days later unable to speak, walk, or take care of myself. I was still 22, yet my body felt like a toddler’s. I spent over a month in that hospital bed. Forced to prioritise my healing body that demanded nothing from me but to slow down. It was the longest I had ever stood still in my ever-so-busy life! That era was so unfamiliar to my body, I would’ve given up out of impatience had I not been shortly visited and cheerfully encouraged by friends and family every now and then.

A person lies in a hospital bed with a bandaged head, eyes closed, covered in a white blanket, next to medical equipment and a chair.
A group of people gathers around a hospital bed, smiling. The patient is sitting up and smiling as well. Two smaller photos below show friends posing and supporting the patient, who is wearing pink.

In those in-between stillness, I realized so many things I’ve been overlooking during my “first” life. I kept chasing highs thinking that I had no one when in reality, I am so loved and supported by so many people. They made sure I wouldn’t feel alone as I healed. When I started connecting dots I’d ignored for years, we recalled the headaches I had since high school, the dizziness, the vomiting I’d brushed off because I believed I was “too young for something this serious.”

Post-surgery was a mess, but despite my body having permanent disabilities, I learned to appreciate it more than ever! I have permanent blind spots in my vision, I’ve lost my ability to run, and suffered aphasia (a speech disorder that scrambled both my Filipino and my English), leaving me confused and grasping for words on a regular basis. The invisible damage was, in a lot of ways, the hardest part – I kept wishing my body would just snap back to “normal.” Thankfully, I always find ways to make life fun. 

It was when I accepted that it won’t be the same anymore that I started living again. After all, I’d been given a second chance which is already something most people don’t get, and I never want to take it for granted like how I did with the first. This “second life” that I’m blessed with turned out to be even fuller than when I was physically at my mightiest.

A woman speaks in front of a whiteboard labeled Effects after brain aneurysm surgery while a man stands beside her; subtitles read, Im going to talk about the effects after my ruptured brain..

I didn’t get through all of this alone, and I don’t think anyone is supposed to, especially when there are life advocates in my home country who are passionate and creative what they do. 

My speech therapist was sharp and ridiculously funny! Somehow making the hardest sessions feel lighter. An occupational therapist helped me relearn movement through games – I felt my “toddler” body looked forward to every session. My caregivers patiently took care of me – despite me losing it sometimes for not being as sharp as before – their smiles and joyful state of mind pushed me throughout my hospital stay. A team of doctors and healthcare professionals celebrated with me as I got discharged – still at age 22, being the youngest survivor of major surgery of brain aneurysm in the history of Makati Medical Center, Philippines.

Five people stand together smiling indoors, three in white coats, and two in casual clothes. A framed photo hangs on the wall behind them. The setting appears to be a clinic or office.
A group of people, some in white medical uniforms and others in casual clothes, smile and pose together in a hospital hallway.

When I moved to the United States, I reached out to my high school friend, Kristel, who turned out to be the teacher that helped me rebuild my communication and confidence with her play-based learning experiences she still brings today. She witnessed how I met that “self” we’ve worked hard for after 10 years, and now she stands with me (although remotely) as I advocate for brain health. From communication lessons to social media campaigns, we discovered Go Eleana Go’s purpose, unpacking it enthusiastically. Now, our team is growing, and we get to collaborate with established foundations and growing businesses in the US, and we’re only getting started! So many exciting things ahead – it’s an ultimate test to embody a “happy brain” as we push through together in influencing our lovely, fellow humans to give their brains a lot of love.

A smiling cartoon brain holds yellow and blue flowers. Text above reads GO ELEANA GO and below reads Mindful Living is Powerful Living..
Two women video chatting, each smiling and making a playful claw gesture with their hand. The woman in the main frame has glasses and long hair; the woman in the small inset is laughing.

My constant since birth – my mom – had given me everything she could, and I’ve learned how blessed I am to be born as her daughter. I also still remember how gentle my brother was – sitting beside me whenever the weight of it all got too heavy, reminding me how I’ve always kept going and that I’ll always have a listening ear in him.

Three photos: A family of three poses and hugs in a room, the same family sits at a café, and a man drives a car while a smiling young woman takes a selfie in the passenger seat.

My father’s petition gave me the chance to start over and start strong in a new country. It was already tough for my mom to let me go after my brain injury – she built a comfortable life for me where I never have to worry about not having my own place, and a community I could heal with in the Philippines. I must admit, those initial years of me being in the United States on my own, while getting used to the disabling impacts of brain injury had been extra challenging! Speaking clearly already took more effort some days, I couldn’t run or push through long physical activity the way I used to, and processing information could take forever, which means the high-octane career I once thrived in isn’t the path forward anymore.

So I took different jobs – as a cook, dental assistant, assembler, and cashier. Letting go of my intended path cracked something open, though. I stumbled into babysitting and daycare work. and it’s not because I planned it, but because it was simply what was available to me. And somewhere in caring for kids who couldn’t care less about my resume, I found a kind of purpose I never would have chosen for myself in my old life. Luckily, my basic communication skills go well with the way children communicate, too!

A person in protective clothing and glasses smiles at the camera; next to them, a woman kneels by a young boy as he interacts with a classroom chart displaying days and activities.
Two young children sit at a table. One is in a high chair, the other stands nearby. A hand holds a heart-shaped card that reads ELEANA THANK YOU!!! with colorful flowers and the names James and Alex.

What makes everything worth it is an even more beautiful life that I have now which I am sharing with a wonderful husband. Luke met me after I was already “different,” yet he loves every version of me, uncertainty and all. That kind of love is its own kind of miracle!

So these days, life looks pretty good: I’m happily married, a homeowner, and a very proud cat mom to our two beloved cats, and I get to use my story, simple communication skills, and platform for a big vision. This March 2026, eleven years into advocating mostly on my own, I joined the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s Advocacy Day and stood in a room full of people who understood exactly what I’d been carrying. I’m now helping push for Ellie’s Law to fund the research that could spare someone else this exact story.

My brain almost stopped me, and now I use it to help unstoppable souls love theirs. Because I know better now.

Thanks so much for being part of my journey.

💛 — Eleana

A woman with glasses smiles beside text about her surviving a brain aneurysm and sharing her recovery journey, emphasizing the strength in living a slower, powerful life.

Find me / follow the journey:
Website: goeleanago.my.canva.site
Instagram: @goeleanag
TikTok: @eleanaseverything
YouTube: @eleanaseverything

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