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Xander Garanzuay, a long-distance runner, never imagined his high school track meet would end with him being airlifted to the hospital. But when a discus struck him in the head, he suffered a depressed skull fracture and needed emergency surgery.

Thanks to the quick action and collaboration of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's trauma and neurosurgery teams, Xander is now back to running. His story highlights the resilience of the human body, the strength of family and the impact of expert care.

A sudden accident

After finishing the 2-mile race at a track meet in Cartersville, Xander stayed to support his Woodstock High School teammates. When he was ready to go home, he texted his parents.

A few moments later, everything changed. While tossing a ball with his friend, Xander ran to retrieve it—just as a discus struck him in the head.

The discus hit Xander on the left side of his head with such force that he fell unconscious. Xander began seizing—his condition was critical. While his friend raced to notify their coaches, Kelly, Xander’s mom, had arrived to pick him up.

“I’m sitting out front texting Xander, ‘I’m here,’ when emergency vehicles start pulling up,” Kelly said. “Then my husband called—‘Xander’s been hit.’”

Kelly stayed with Xander as EMS evaluated him. “He was awake but not coherent,” she noted. They determined he would need to be airlifted to Wellstar Kennestone, a Level I Trauma Center.

Life-saving surgery

Xander was swiftly transported to Wellstar Kennestone, where the trauma team was ready to act. Upon arrival, Wellstar Neurosurgeon Dr. Phillip Parry assessed the severity of Xander’s injury: a depressed skull fracture causing seizures.

“The discus is a large weight—picture a five-pound Frisbee—that is flung through the air,” said Dr. Parry. “Thankfully, Xander’s skull protected his brain, but he essentially sustained a ballistic injury to the skull.”

The impact to the left side of Xander’s skull left him with a fixed-focus neurologic deficit. His right arm—his dominant arm—had no muscle strength, and his right leg was weak.

Dr. Parry performed an emergency craniotomy to remove the bone pressing on Xander’s brain. The surgery was successful, but the road ahead was uncertain.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t the surgery itself—this is something we do every day,” he said. “It was telling a 16-year-old and his mother that we didn’t know whether he would regain function in his dominant arm.”

Kelly had to trust in the care Xander was receiving. “You don’t know what you’re going to do in that situation. Nothing prepares you,” she said. “I had to have faith that he was in the right hands—and he truly was.”

Steady progress

The day after Xander’s surgery, Wellstar Kennestone’s physical and occupational therapy teams began working at his bedside to restore movement in his non-functioning arm and leg.

“You want to do everything you can to optimize the body’s ability to heal,” said Dr. Parry. “It was important that we provided that environment for him.”

Xander’s positive attitude and determination played a crucial role in regaining function. His dad, Xavier, was amazed by his son’s resilience.

“He was so proactive and driven to get better,” Xavier said. “It was inspiring to watch.”

Still, sometimes the reality of what happened sank in. “He woke up one night and said, ‘I could have died,’” his mom remembered. “I told him, ‘Yes, but you didn’t.’ He said, ‘God must have something really special planned for me.’”

Xander applied the same fortitude from running to each step of his healing. “Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy, but you can also be your biggest supporter,” he said. “If you don’t believe in yourself, how can anyone else believe in you?”

Care that made a difference

Xander spent six days at Wellstar Kennestone before being transferred to inpatient rehabilitation. The support from Wellstar’s care team made a lasting impact.

They were there for whatever we needed—compassionate and always listening to Xander’s needs,” Kelly said.

One night during his stay, Xander woke needing help to get to the restroom. When a nurse arrived, he suddenly began seizing. “I’ve never seen eight nurses in a room so quickly,” his mom recalled. “Everyone knew exactly what to do.”

One poignant moment came when Xander’s family had the discus—now a symbol of victory over his injury—signed by his care team.

“It’s rewarding as a physician to know that I played a small part in restoring his ability to use his arm again,” Dr. Parry reflected. “As a parent, I know the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of neurologic recovery. To see Xander move his arms and legs again, as if nothing happened, is a relief that’s indescribable.”

The power of community

Xander’s recovery was supported not only by his family and Wellstar care team, but also by his school and community. After the accident, his track team dedicated the next meet to him, with “Run for Xander” wristbands and signs. A teammate also started a GoFundMe campaign, which raised nearly $13,000 to help with the family’s medical expenses.

“People from all over came together for Xander,” Xavier said. “Posts on his team’s Facebook page were shared with running clubs from Canada to Miami. We were blown away.”

Xander was especially touched by the support. “This whole experience showed me how much my family loves me,” he said. “Seeing my friends, teachers and even family from Texas come to help—it meant so much.”

A bright future

After two and a half weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, Xander transitioned to outpatient rehab and continued regular follow-ups with Dr. Parry at the Wellstar Neurosurgery clinic. “At each phase, he received the best possible care,” explained Dr. Parry. “That’s why he had such a great outcome.”

Today, Xander is almost fully recovered and back doing what he loves most—running. “Physically and mentally, he’s doing phenomenal,” Kelly said. “He has his own training program. I am so proud of him.”

Xander’s progress wouldn’t have been possible without the trauma care network that supported him every step of the way. “The benefit of the trauma network can’t be overstated,” Dr. Parry said. “It ensures people get the best possible outcome even on their worst day.”

With expert care and determination, Xander is ready for whatever comes next.

Learn more about Trauma Services and Neuro Care at Wellstar.

De'sa Fuller, an assistant principal in West Georgia, greeted teachers in the hallway like every other morning. But her day turned upside down when she lost her balance and couldn’t rise from the floor. Thanks to the immediate actions of those around her—from the teacher who called 911 to emergency medical services and her Wellstar team—De’sa recovered and is back to school. Her story is a powerful testament to how recognizing symptoms of a stroke, calling for help right away and having highly coordinated care can lead to remarkable outcomes.

Getting help when things go wrong

At 34, De'sa Fuller was living a vibrant life. She was a 6th grade assistant principal at Gardner Middle School in LaGrange. She loved her job, enjoyed traveling and was saving up to buy her first home. April 15 started out like any other day. Smoothie in hand, she greeted teachers in the hallway as she made her way to her office.

“I felt a little off,” De'sa recalled. “I just thought I was going too fast—I didn’t put much thought into it.” Then she fell. A concerned teacher asked if she was okay. De'sa, thinking she had simply tripped, said “Yes.” Her vision blurred as she tried to get up and she fell again. “I said, ‘I am not okay.’”

What began as a typical morning turned into a race against time. One teacher's quick thinking to call 911 activated a rapid chain of events that would save De’sa from permanent disability.

The critical first minutes

“The ambulance got there quickly. It was like they were around the corner,” De'sa remembered. 

“We got a call that EMS was bringing in a female who had been found on the floor at work, experiencing right-sided weakness,” explained Ginger Truitt, stroke coordinator at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, a Primary Stroke Center. The EMS professionals also reported confusion, headache and vomiting. “Those symptoms suggest stroke. We activated quickly.”

As a result, Dr. Reginald “Ashley” Orr, an emergency medicine physician, was ready for her arrival. 

“I was worried about an acute stroke by their description of her symptoms,” he remembered. “I evaluated her on the stretcher when she came through the door.”

A Code FAST was called with the goal of speeding up the time to start treatment to improve De’sa’s chances for better outcomes. They skipped the emergency department and took her for a CT scan. Then she was seen by the onsite neurologist, and the team quickly administered tenectoplase—or TNK—a clot-busting drug.

“Her symptoms were markedly improved,” Dr. Orr noted. “She was more awake.”

However, the CT angiogram showed an MCA M1 occlusion—a blockage in a major blood vessel in the brain. While she had shown some improvement, it wasn’t enough. De'sa needed a thrombectomy, a procedure to remove the clot and restore vital blood flow to the brain.

A seamless transfer

De’sa needed an immediate transfer to a thrombectomy center, and there are only a few in the state of Georgia. After a quick virtual consult with Dr. Ovais Inamullah, a telestroke neurologist at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center—a Comprehensive Stroke Center—she was accepted for transfer. The Marietta-based Neuro Care program performs one of the highest volumes of thrombectomy and aneurysm treatments in the country.

Because time is of the essence with successful stroke treatment, transport by air is preferred. However, weather conditions threatened the flight’s safety. The ground EMS crew dutifully stood by in case they needed to drive De’sa. 

Mercifully, the clouds lifted after a few tense moments and she began her trip to Wellstar Kennestone via helicopter.

“When we have this type of emergency, our goal is to get patients out the door for a thrombectomy in 90 minutes,” Ginger said. “In De’sa’s case, we did it in 102 minutes, which was still impressive because there was cloud cover and we weren’t sure at first if she would be able to fly.”

Upon arrival, De'sa was taken directly to the angio suite where Dr. Ahmad Khaldi, a Wellstar neurosurgeon, and his team were waiting. “Every minute counts,” he emphasized.

A thrombectomy is a procedure that treats a stroke without open brain surgery. A tiny catheter is threaded through a blood vessel in the arm or leg to the brain to remove a clot, restoring blood flow to help prevent permanent disability or even death.

“We finished surgery by 11:25 AM,” Dr. Khaldi said—just 20 minutes after the procedure began.

Having or witnessing a seizure can be frightening. But clinicians have made remarkable advances in diagnosing the causes and preventing future seizures with medications and surgery.

“Seizures often seem scarier to bystanders than to patients,” said Dr. Thomas Holmes, a Wellstar neurologist. “Most patients don’t even remember them.”

Epilepsy is more common than many realize—about 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed in their lifetime. On WSB’s The Weekly Check-Up, Dr. Holmes explained how epilepsy is diagnosed, why not all seizures mean epilepsy and what treatments are available.

As director of neurodiagnostics at Wellstar, Dr. Holmes helped Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center earn Level 3 Adult Epilepsy Center accreditation, recognizing its advanced care for patients with hard-to-treat seizures.

Diagnosing epilepsy

According to Dr. Holmes, a seizure happens when there's an “abnormal firing of neurons in the brain.” This electrical disturbance can cause a range of symptoms—some more visible than others. A person having a seizure may briefly lose consciousness, and other signs can include:

• Trouble breathing or temporarily stopping breathing
• Sudden falls without warning
• Jerking movements or a sudden loss of muscle control
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Not responding to sounds or voices for a few moments
• Staring spells, sometimes with rapid blinking

It’s important to know that not all seizures are caused by epilepsy. Other conditions like stroke, brain injuries, infections or tumors can also trigger them. That’s why gathering details from someone who witnessed the seizure—like a family member—can be helpful for doctors trying to make an accurate diagnosis.

When someone experiences a seizure, the first step is usually brain imaging. An MRI is often ordered to look for structural causes, and an EEG, which records the brain’s electrical activity, can help detect abnormal patterns. In some cases, patients may be asked to wear a portable EEG at home for several days to capture activity that doesn’t happen regularly. Both MRIs and EEGs are safe and painless.

For more advanced monitoring, Wellstar offers inpatient epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) at Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar MCG Health and Wellstar North Fulton Medical Centers. These specialized units provide around-the-clock observation and are among the few in Georgia offering this level of epilepsy care.

Medications and surgery for seizures and epilepsy

For most people with epilepsy, medication is the first and most effective treatment option. How long someone needs to stay on medication depends on several factors, including what’s causing the seizures and what clinicians find during ongoing monitoring.

Sometimes a seizure is triggered by a specific event, like a head injury. In those cases, Dr. Holmes explained, long-term medication may not be necessary. But if tests reveal a structural issue in the brain—like an area of damage—it usually means a higher risk of future seizures and longer-term treatment is often recommended.

“You don’t necessarily need to be on medication for life, even if you have epilepsy,” said Dr. Holmes. Patients are regularly monitored, treatment plans are highly personalized and care plans are revisited to ensure the best outcomes possible.

“If someone has been seizure-free for two to three years, has a normal EEG and no visible brain lesion, we’ll often discuss tapering off medication if the patient is open to it,” he said.

Some people may struggle with seizure control despite medication. About 10% of patients don’t respond well to drugs—but there are additional treatments available.

Wellstar’s EMUs can help determine where in the brain seizures are starting. In some cases, surgery to remove a small area of brain tissue can significantly reduce or even stop seizures. According to Dr. Holmes, this approach is successful in nearly 70% of cases.

Other advanced options include laser surgery or a responsive neurostimulation—when a small device is implanted in the brain to detect abnormal activity and deliver a pulse to stop a seizure before it starts.

Looking ahead, Dr. Holmes is optimistic. “There are going to be many options that are not drug-related,” he said. “Less invasive procedures are on the rise, and we’re learning more about the genetic causes of epilepsy—especially in children. Research and clinical trials may even lead us to gene therapies in the near future.”

Epilepsy care is evolving rapidly, and for many patients, that means more control, fewer side effects, and real hope for the future.

Epilepsy and Seizures Program at Wellstar

Our Epilepsy and Seizures Program is one of only a few such programs in Georgia. It provides comprehensive care to help children and adults manage seizures. The program also offers a streamlined pathway to determine if a patient is a candidate for advanced treatments, including minimally invasive surgery and deep brain stimulation.

Wellstar Children's Hospital of Georgia and Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta are Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers, the highest designation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Wellstar Kennestone is a Level 3 Adult Epilepsy Center.

Learn more about the Epilepsy and Seizures Program and Wellstar providers.