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Better Days Ahead For Woman Who Suffered Brain Aneurysm

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Neurosurgeons say about two-thirds of people who have aneurysms make it to the hospital and life may never be the same.

CBS 2's Dana Kozlov introduces us to one young survivor intent on beating the odds in this original report.

Reading words helps 26-year-old Michelle Clemens find her sentences and tell her story of survival and perseverance almost a year after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm.

"I am determined," said Clemens with a laugh.

She was a marathon runner and TV reporter in Green Bay when she developed a heart infection. Her mom said that led to the rare, mycotic aneurysm.

Clemens was in an induced coma for a week and hospitalized for almost a month, with a feeding tube and a tracheotomy to help her breathe. Her right side was immobile.

Within a month, she was walking. Not long after, running.

"Her really energetic and friendly personality and her support system, those really bode well," said Dr. Babak S. Jahromi, Clemens neurosurgeon. "I think she'll continue to make gains."

Clemens now uses that energy to regain her speech, hoping to become a motivational speaker.

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