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![Sandra lies on her bed clutching the right side of her brain where she frequently experiences random onset pain while her daughter Sa'Miya fixes her hair in the mirror.]()
Sandra lies on her bed clutching the right side of her brain where she frequently experiences random onset pain while her daughter Sa'Miya fixes her hair in the mirror. -
Shortly before Christmas of 2018, Sandra Gonzales was working at New Hope Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care Community when she experienced an abnormal headache.
The single mother of two had no idea the headache she experienced that day would turn her life upside down. When the pain wouldn’t quit, the 45-year-old Gonzales asked her brother, Hondo, for a ride to the hospital. There, she learned she had a brain aneurysm and would need surgery.
Five months later, Mother’s Day has new meaning for Gonzales and her children, Santana and Sa’Miya. This year is about celebrating that Gonzales is still alive and on the road to recovery.
“Being a single mom means every day is about being a mom. It’s always rewarding to celebrate one day, and it always touches my heart," she said. “And I’m so thankful for the fact that I get to spend and celebrate another year of being a mother after everything that I’ve gone through.”
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![A view of Sandra's scalp with the 55 staples in it shortly after her surgery in December of 2018.]()
A view of Sandra's scalp with the 55 staples in it shortly after her surgery in December of 2018. -
![Sandra sits in the doctor's office at a Covenant Health Care Clinic, waiting to be seen by her physician to make sure that her blood sugar, diet, and energy levels are doing okay. Sandra has four different doctors, and they each treat her for different as]()
Sandra sits in the doctor's office at a Covenant Health Care Clinic, waiting to be seen by her physician to make sure that her blood sugar, diet, and energy levels are doing okay. Sandra has four different doctors, and they each treat her for different aspects of her health. -
![Sandra and her family sit outside of the pool at The Comfort Inn in Bay City, MI as they try to decide what their dinner plans are. For the kids' spring break, Sandra, her mother Minerva, her step-father Eddie, and her sister Regina decided to treat the k]()
Sandra and her family sit outside of the pool at The Comfort Inn in Bay City, MI as they try to decide what their dinner plans are. For the kids' spring break, Sandra, her mother Minerva, her step-father Eddie, and her sister Regina decided to treat the kids to two nights in a hotel. -
![Sandra sits in the family room helping Sa'Miya fix her necklace as her son Santana adjusts his cuffs on his shirt before leaving to take portraits at a professional photography studio.]()
Sandra sits in the family room helping Sa'Miya fix her necklace as her son Santana adjusts his cuffs on his shirt before leaving to take portraits at a professional photography studio. -
![Sandra holds her nephew Jacob, 1, close to her after he came up to her asking to be held during Santana's 16th birthday celebration. Sandra's kids are both teenagers, but when she's around Jacob, she's reminded of what it's like to have a little one runni]()
Sandra holds her nephew Jacob, 1, close to her after he came up to her asking to be held during Santana's 16th birthday celebration. Sandra's kids are both teenagers, but when she's around Jacob, she's reminded of what it's like to have a little one running around. -
![Sandra stands up in a church pew at Saginaw First for an Easter worship service. She began to sing and praise God, raising her hands and crying out in prayer, getting emotional throughout the song.]()
Sandra stands up in a church pew at Saginaw First for an Easter worship service. She began to sing and praise God, raising her hands and crying out in prayer, getting emotional throughout the song. -
![Sandra sits with her brother Hondo, rubbing ointment on him because he was in a lot of pain. They had just finished celebrating Hondo's 34th birthday when he began to experience extreme pain in his elbow due to his arthritis, so they sat together trying t]()
Sandra sits with her brother Hondo, rubbing ointment on him because he was in a lot of pain. They had just finished celebrating Hondo's 34th birthday when he began to experience extreme pain in his elbow due to his arthritis, so they sat together trying to soothe his pain before he went to bed. -
![Sandra writes notes while her pastor speaks during an Easter service at Saginaw First. He was encouraging the ministry to vow that they are going to decide what they value in life, and Sandra began to write things down as he spoke.]()
Sandra writes notes while her pastor speaks during an Easter service at Saginaw First. He was encouraging the ministry to vow that they are going to decide what they value in life, and Sandra began to write things down as he spoke. -
![Sandra looks to her family and smiles after her son Santana blew out his birthday candles during a celebration for a 16th birthday. Just before, Sandra had Santana open up his birthday gift, which was a bunch of one dollar bills taped together that he pul]()
Sandra looks to her family and smiles after her son Santana blew out his birthday candles during a celebration for a 16th birthday. Just before, Sandra had Santana open up his birthday gift, which was a bunch of one dollar bills taped together that he pulled out one by one from a tissue box. -
![Sandra laughs at the comedy show she watches on TV while Sa'Miya sits across from her, playing on her phone before heading into the kitchen to work on homework.]()
Sandra laughs at the comedy show she watches on TV while Sa'Miya sits across from her, playing on her phone before heading into the kitchen to work on homework. -
![Sandra beings to smile and cry as she leans in to hug Kim Rowan, who hands her a few hundred dollars in cash from the fundraiser she put on at Stardust Lanes to help support Sandra and her two children on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. Kim Rowan is a fellow paren]()
Sandra beings to smile and cry as she leans in to hug Kim Rowan, who hands her a few hundred dollars in cash from the fundraiser she put on at Stardust Lanes to help support Sandra and her two children on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. Kim Rowan is a fellow parent at Carrollton High School, and decided to put together an event to try and get Sandra as much aid as possible. -
![Sandra uses scissors to cut chicken that was prepared earlier that day by her mother, Minerva, as she gets dinner ready for her and the kids. Sandra hasn't had much energy to cook, and when she does, she takes it slow as her memory and ability to cook isn]()
Sandra uses scissors to cut chicken that was prepared earlier that day by her mother, Minerva, as she gets dinner ready for her and the kids. Sandra hasn't had much energy to cook, and when she does, she takes it slow as her memory and ability to cook isn't as strong as it was before surgery. -
![Sandra sits inside of Bob Evans in Bay City, MI catching up with Sally Wilson, Sandra's old boss, who came to visit with her during their meal since she had no idea that she had brain surgery. Sally had said "your kids got so big" as they caught up and re]()
Sandra sits inside of Bob Evans in Bay City, MI catching up with Sally Wilson, Sandra's old boss, who came to visit with her during their meal since she had no idea that she had brain surgery. Sally had said "your kids got so big" as they caught up and reminisced together. -
![Sandra belts out lyrics to a song by Selena as she blares the music full blast from the car with the door open in the parking lot of The Comfort Inn in Bay City, MI. Sandra was waiting for her son Santana to grab her things, and she always talks about how]()
Sandra belts out lyrics to a song by Selena as she blares the music full blast from the car with the door open in the parking lot of The Comfort Inn in Bay City, MI. Sandra was waiting for her son Santana to grab her things, and she always talks about how much she misses dancing, so she hopped out of the car, turned the volume up, and began to sing and dance.
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