161 PEOPLE get your HEAD in the GAME Freshman Sydney Reynolds receives a potentially fatal diagnosis prior to her first semester of college. The summer before her first semester of college, freshman cross-country and track and field athlete Sydney Reynolds felt a major pain in the back of her head. This pain was later diagnosed as a brain hemorrhage. “The pain started in June, but I had training to do,” Reynolds said. “I ignored it until July when I was running one day. I had head pain that was worse than the first time, so I went to a local clinic where they credited my symptoms to dehydration. But, after listing my symptoms to an emergency room doctor, he told me I might have a brain bleed.” Reynolds said her condition was known as a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM). AVMs themselves were not critically dangerous, but the placement of her blood vessels caused her brain to bleed. When brain bleeds happened in the area of the brain that Reynolds’ did, a person had a 40% chance of survival. Even if a person did survive, the result was often a visual, verbal or mobile impairment. The track and cross-country teams were instrumental in keeping Reynolds connected to life on campus through Zoom meetings, text messages and phone calls while she recovered at home. “During all of the most meaningful traditions of the track team, such as the adoption of the freshmen ceremony, Sydney [Reynolds] was included via FaceTime,” junior team member Sydney Tabor said. “We remembered her in our prayers before each practice, and our coach updated the team on her recovery progress during each team meeting. We sent her encouraging quotes and told her how excited we were for her to be with us.” Cross-Country and Track and Field Head Coach Don Hood shared in his team’s excitement for Reynolds to be on campus with them. Hood stated that Reynolds had a long road of recovery ahead of her, but he looked forward to her potential. “It will take Sydney a while to regain her previous level of fitness, but she is an extremely motivated and dedicated person,” Hood said. “It will be exciting to see her on the other side of this challenge.” Reynolds hoped her story encouraged others to address pressing health concerns. When she finally acknowledged hers, her life was saved. She said this experience taught her to be thankful in everything. “Through telling my story, I hope to bring awareness of things like this to people around me,” Reynolds said. “This event in my life offered me such a new perspective. I’m so lucky to be alive that I have no choice but to be thankful.” story by Hannah Kellum Freshman Sydney Reynolds lies in a hospital bed. Reynolds had a brain hemmorage the summer before her first semester of college. | photo courtesy of Sydney Reynolds
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