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Brittney G

@nobs_itsbs

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God first & above all VA✌🏾TX - ITG🫶🏽
HowardAlum👩🏾‍🎓UMHB Alum💜 Army Vet💪🏾 1913🔺️🐘 Continent Hopper🛫 LPC-A 🧠 Stroke Survivor

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It was a long day on the road from Missouri to Ohio, and now that I’m finally at the hotel, I wanted to make sure I paused to acknowledge World Heart Day 2026.

I spent the day thinking about the things we know about our health — and the things we sometimes don’t.

I had no idea I had a PFO or a clotting disorder. Those weren’t things I knew to ask about because, honestly, I didn’t know they were part of my story.

There is a history of heart disease, heart attack, hypertension, and cardiac arrest in my family. Family history can be something we talk about openly, something that gets quietly mentioned, or sometimes something that simply isn’t shared.

But knowing matters.

Let’s normalize talking about our health histories. Asking questions. Knowing our numbers. Understanding our risks. Because sometimes the information we need to protect our future is sitting somewhere in our family story — or waiting to be discovered.

I’m also thinking tonight about what it has meant to be an alumna of the Go Red for Women Class of Survivors.❤️

It came at a time when my confidence was still shaky. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I could fully embrace the opportunity at the time. I did my best with where I was.

And somehow, that was enough.

What I gained were 11 incredible women who became part of my life, along with connections to the classes before us and the women who have come before and after us.

That community has continued to grow, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it.

So on this World Heart Day, I’m remembering that our stories matter. Our family histories matter. Our risks matter.

And sometimes, the most important thing we can do is simply start the conversation.

Know your story. Know your risks. Talk about it.

#worldheartday #StrokeAwareness #KnowYourRisk #HeartHealth #StrokeSurvivor #GoRedForWomen #SurvivorStrong

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Taej’s 33rd x SXM 🇸🇽🫶🏽

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It’s getting scary outchea. #girlstrip #scarystories #help

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Animal print frenchies

@valentinobeautypure # #frenchnails #nailart #nailsofinstagram #holonails texasnailtech killeennails texasnails ctx glitternails glamnails nailgasm nailsaddict nails acrylicnails acrylicnails sculptednails stilletonails

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SXM OWES ME NOTHING 😭🇸🇽 best trip ever!

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Happy Birthday to my brother Isaiah!

Grateful for all the memories, laughs, and years of friendship we’ve shared. It was great having you and Brittany in Houston to celebrate your special day. I’m especially thankful that Leilani, Leila, and I were able to spend this time with you both and create even more memories together. Wishing you a year filled with blessings, happiness, good health, and continued success. Love you, bro!

#HappyBirthday #Brotherhood #FamilyTime #HoustonMemories #foryou

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After multiple ER visits for painful headaches, 25-year-old Army 1st Lt. Brittney Saunders Graves was finally diagnosed: her brain was bleeding.

In 2018, Brittney had migraines and neck pain. An ER scan showed nothing.

“Over the course of the next few weeks, the symptoms got worse,” she said. “I had trouble sleeping. I had trouble eating. I couldn’t really turn my head because I had the pain in my neck as well as the headache.”

She saw multiple doctors, including a rheumatologist, and returned to the ER. Still no answers.

She showed up at her neurology clinic two days early, begging to be seen: “I feel like my head is about to explode, and I feel like I’m going to die.” She was turned away.

She was stopped by a receptionist.

“She looked at me and said, ‘We need to go to the patient advocate.’ Later she told me that my face was drooping and swollen, and that it looked like my eyes were bulging out of my face.”

Friends had noticed changes too, but didn’t want to upset her.

After filing a complaint, Brittney was told she’d be admitted at her next ER visit. Hours later, she returned with intense pain and vomiting. She was finally admitted after three hours. A CT scan showed brain bleeding. And after being transferred to another hospital, an MRI revealed half her brain was clotted.

She had a rare stroke: dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST). She spent 5 days in the ICU and months in therapy.

“Recovery was hard, because I was an active-duty soldier and instantly that was taken away,” she said. “I tried to go back to my normal self… but I couldn’t even push myself up.”

She returned to active duty and promoted to captain but was later medically discharged.

She later earned her master’s in clinical mental health counseling with a 4.0.

“I do feel like my stroke was a second chance at life,” she said. “Although we aren’t the same as we were before our experience, we have the opportunity to live life better.”

Now she’s a stroke survivor, advocate and mental health counselor.

#StrokeMonth

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Two incredible days at the International Stroke Conference (#ISC26) 🧠💙

From powerful research and groundbreaking science, to stroke influencers and advocacy in action — this conference was full of knowledge, connection, and purpose.

So inspiring to be here with 50+ stroke survivors and care partners, learning about new research, treatments, and the future of stroke recovery and prevention.

I was especially honored to serve as a panelist in a fireside chat on maternal stroke and prevention, alongside three amazing physicians and a phenomenal stroke nurse. Sharing my story and helping elevate this conversation meant everything to me.

And of course… doing all of this in New Orleans made it even more special. Grateful, inspired, and ready to keep pushing forward for survivors and families everywhere.

#StrokeSurvivor #MaternalStroke #strokeadvocacy #AHA

@goredforwomen @american_heart @heartofgwr

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With a grateful heart, we recognize the 12 women who served as national volunteers through the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women 2025 Class of Survivors.

❤️️ Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy survivor Alison Conklin
❤️️ Heart attack survivor Andrea Alexander
❤️️ Postpartum sudden cardiac arrest survivor Bre Khounphinith
❤️️ Stroke survivor Brittney Saunders Graves
❤️️ Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Heather Baker
❤️️ Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Melissa Ziebell
❤️️ Preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome survivor Molly McGuire
❤️️ Stroke survivor Rajini Poth
❤️️ SCAD heart attack survivor Robin Eaton
❤️️ Postpartum SCAD heart attack survivor Taelur Littlejohn
❤️️ Stroke survivor Tania Saiz
❤️️ Congenital heart defect survivor Victoria Rodriguez

The Class of Survivors is a sisterhood of survivors from all walks of life. Often the surprising faces of cardiovascular disease, the survivors share their powerful stories to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women and inspire others to take charge of their health and well-being.

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Happy Birthday!
@valentinobeautypure # #frenchnails #nailart #nailsofinstagram #holonails texasnailtech killeennails texasnails ctx glitternails glamnails nailgasm nailsaddict nails acrylicnails acrylicnails sculptednails stilletonails coffinnails ballerinanails almondnails

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Love monochrome nails!

@valentinobeautypure # #frenchnails #nailart #nailsofinstagram #holonails #texasnailtech #killeennails #texasnails #ctx #glitternails #glamnails #nailgasm #nailsaddict #nails #acrylicnails #acrylicnails #sculptednails #stilletonails #coffinnails #ballerinanails #almondnails

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The American Heart Association holds a special place in… well, our hearts 💕. We created a Survivor Gallery for the NWA chapter over the last couple years, and when representatives from Texas came to visit, they wanted one too! So we recently spent a week in Austin and Temple doing just that. The final images will be under wraps until the Heart Ball, but here’s a sneak peek at the fun!#ahaaustin #americanheartassociation #heartsurvivor #ahatexas

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