11-Year-Old Emma Palmer Walking Again After January Brain Bleed

11-year-old swimmer Emma Palmer is walking again, less than 100 days after a harrowing post-practice collapse due to a spontaneous brain bleed.

Palmer collapsed after a swim practice at Countryside YMCA back in January. Doctors diagnosed a spontaneous brain bleed, and Palmer was in a medically-induced coma while undergoing multiple brain surgeries.

But now, less than 100 days since her collapse, Palmer is recovering well and has even begun walking, her family says.

“She now has quite a bit of motion on her left leg, and a little on her left arm, though she still has a long road to full recovery,” Emma’s father Andy Palmer told SwimSwam. “She has started walking quite a bit with support, and has been strong in her determination to continue to push her limits.”

Emma Palmer is reading books and playing games while in the hospital, and has connected with her teammates via Zoom amidst the coronavirus shutdown.

Doctors were never able to pinpoint the cause of the spontaneous brain bleed. Palmer is still a long ways from returning to the pool, but according to a Facebook group providing updates on her progress, she is scheduled to return home from the hospital next week, on May 13th. You can follow all of her progress on that page, where swimmers and clubs from across the country have shared thoughts, prayers and support with Palmer and her family.