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When 37-year-old Jennifer Guadalupe-Class from Staten Island collapsed just one month after giving birth, her wife, Krystal Class, knew something was wrong. An excruciating headache and sudden weakness quickly revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or brain bleed, from a ruptured aneurysm. Upon her arrival at ���ϸ����� Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, Guadalupe-Class was met by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Through rapid, coordinated care—followed by weeks of rehabilitation—Guadalupe-Class is back to living her life. Today, she is walking, caring for her newborn son, and planning their first Thanksgiving together as a family, all thanks to her resilience and the teamwork at ���ϸ����� Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.

When Guadalupe-Class arrived at the hospital, Ting Zhou, MD, a neurointensivist and clinical associate professor of neurology, was one of the first physicians to see her. “Her case was high risk,” Dr. Zhou recalled. “Not only was she very young, but she had just given birth weeks earlier.” She immediately underwent endovascular treatment of the ruptured aneurysm to prevent re-bleeding, along with placement of a temporary drain into the brain’s fluid-filled spaces. Several weeks later, when the fluid buildup persisted, Caleb Rutledge, MD, neurosurgeon and director of the hospital’s neurointerventional program, implanted a permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt. This small tube drains excess fluid from the brain into the abdomen, where it can be reabsorbed. By the time Brandon Giglio, MD, director of stroke, assumed care, Guadalupe-Class had been in the neuro-intensive care unit for several weeks.

Along with Dr. Giglio, Laura M. Ades, MD, a vascular neurologist and stroke specialist, joined Guadalupe-Class’s case once she transitioned to the stroke service. At that stage, Dr. Ades focused on potential complications. “We managed headaches, watched for infection, and partnered closely with rehab so she could safely regain function—especially as a new mom,” said Dr. Ades.

“Her case underscored how vital it is to have a coordinated multidisciplinary response,” said Dr. Rutledge. “It was a coordinated effort between departments—neurosurgery, neurology, stroke care, nursing, rehabilitation—every step required seamless communication.”

That teamwork—and her own resilience—made all the difference in her recovery. “The key was constant communication, even with her family,” said Dr. Giglio.

Her family remembers that compassionate communication most. “Every step was explained,” Class said. “We weren’t left wondering what was happening. They treated us like part of the team—and the nurses assigned to her case made us feel like family.”

On the inpatient rehabilitation unit under Charnette Lercara, MD, physiatrist and associate medical director of Rusk Rehabilitation Services at ���ϸ����� Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, the team rebuilt strength, balance, and cognition with daily, targeted therapy. Physical therapist Victoria Butler progressed Guadalupe-Class from a walker to a cane and had her practice walking while carrying a medicine ball wrapped in a blanket that matched the weight of her baby. Speech-language pathologist Nina Bernstein, MS, CCC-SLP, focused on memory, attention, and problem solving — down to memorizing her wife’s phone number.

“They didn’t just help me walk again. They helped me feel like myself again,” said Guadalupe-Class.

In the months following Guadalupe-Class’s hospitalization, Dr. Ades oversaw her postoperative care, performing cognitive assessments to monitor memory and mental function and continuing to address long-term headache management. She partnered closely with rehabilitation medicine to coordinate at-home therapy and equipment needs while reinforcing preventive measures such as blood pressure monitoring and healthful lifestyle habits.

Known for her compassionate approach, Dr. Ades emphasized open communication, encouraging patients to reach out with any questions or concerns and often reminding them of her colleague Dr. Giglio’s words: “Never worry alone.”

“We wanted to make sure she not only healed physically, but also that she regained her confidence and independence as a new mom,” said Dr. Ades. “Brooklyn is a tight-knit, interdisciplinary unit. We all know each other by name. That closeness translates directly into patient outcomes.”

Since Guadalupe-Class’s August 1 discharge, life has been a steady climb and constant celebration. Here’s what that looks like:

• She and her family came back to ���ϸ����� Langone Hospital—Brooklyn to throw the staff a pizza party. “We wanted them to know their care didn’t go unnoticed. People came from every corner to see me walk and hold our son.”
• She’s enjoying every bit of being a mom now. “I can carry and feed my son on my own. I even bathed him by myself. Bending, lifting, and balancing were impossible at first.”
• She’s using a cane only when alone and has recently driven for the first time. “Just 15 minutes, with my mom in the car, but it was huge.”
• Her gratitude is showing up in small ways. “Waking up, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, walking out of bed—those simple things feel big now.”

Class remembers the moment her wife came home: “It felt like coming up for air. Our family was back together. Now, we try to live in the moment—a walk, a movie, phones down—so we don’t forget ourselves.”

Maribel Dorta, Guadalupe-Class’s mom, who works at ���ϸ����� Langone Hospital—Brooklyn as a financial system analyst, recalled, “I truly thought I might bury my only child. This Thanksgiving feels like a second life.” She added, “We’ll handle the small complications—she’s a fighter.”

This year, the family will split Thanksgiving between Class’s mom’s home and Dorta’s cousin’s table, where everyone brings a favorite dish, which includes Dorta’s beloved taco ring and Class’s mom’s Puerto Rican guineítos en escabeche, with green bananas, olives, and peppers.

As the family sets the table this year, their gratitude is simple and profound. When Guadalupe-Class thinks about the future, she sums it up in one line: “I wake up every day thankful for tomorrow.”

About ���ϸ����� Langone Health

���ϸ����� Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked ���ϸ����� Langone No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation for four years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four of its clinical specialties No. 1 in the nation. ���ϸ����� Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 320 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. The system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.

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Gabrielle Messina
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