Barrow Preserves a Young Translator’s Language Abilities in a High-Stakes AVM Surgery

Ever since he can remember, Kristopher Brame has loved language. As he got older, Kris found that he had an affinity for learning different languages. That sparked six years of studying and traveling in Germany and France before Kris returned to the U.S. to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in German Translation. By the time he was 20, Kris was fluent in four languages—German, French, Spanish, and English—and currently works as a full-time translator.

Language was not only Kris’s livelihood but also his passion. Then, a devastating diagnosis threatened to take it all away.

Waiting and Watching

In September 2020, Kris began to experience numbness and tingling in his hands, along with severe headache pain. He went to see his family doctor, who suggested getting an MRI. It turned out that Kris had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM)—an abnormal tangle of blood vessels—in his brain. Then came the news that would shatter his world.

“The AVM was right next to the language center of my brain, so if it ruptured, it could impact my ability to speak and understand any language,” says Kris. “It was devastating because language is my entire world, and I couldn’t imagine a life deprived of it.”

Kris’s doctors told him they couldn’t operate on the AVM because of its size and location. Instead, they recommended Gamma Knife radiosurgery treatment over two years. However, the AVM could still rupture during that time, leading to catastrophic, life-long deficits. The stakes were too high for Kris to wait and watch, so his doctor recommended getting a second opinion.

“I think the hospital really pushed for Kris to get a second opinion because they knew they didn’t have a surgeon who could remove the AVM in such a tricky spot,” says Renelle Brame, Kris’s mother. Renelle called her good friend, whose son is a neurosurgeon, to see if he could recommend some AVM specialists. He only gave them one name: Michael T. Lawton, MD, President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute.

Second Opinion and Second Chance

Kris had his doctor send all his information to Barrow. Within a few days, he got a call from a member of Dr. Lawton’s team. Although the AVM was in a difficult spot, Dr. Lawton was confident he could remove it safely. “As soon as I got off the phone, I told my parents I wanted to go to Barrow and get the surgery. I just wanted to get the AVM out as soon as possible,” says Kris.

In April 2021, Kris and his parents traveled to Barrow to have Dr. Lawton remove the AVM. Renelle recalls her fear as Kris faced the operation. “It was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. Less than a year ago, we didn’t even know what an AVM was, let alone that it was life-threatening. Next thing we knew, we were sitting in a waiting room as our son got a six-hour brain surgery.”

Renelle and her husband’s relief was palpable when they were informed that Kris had made it through the surgery and even more so when they learned that it was a success.

Dr. Lawton had removed the entire AVM without any damage to his language center.

Just a few days after the operation, Kris was discharged from Barrow. Except for some trouble with stiffness and nerve pain in his jaw, he left with no significant deficits. A little over a week later, he performed his first translation for work like the surgery had never happened.

“Our whole family could not be more grateful to Dr. Lawton. Not only for saving Kris’s life, but also for preserving something he holds so dear,” says Renelle. “It’s scary to think what the outcome could have been if the AVM had ruptured before we got to Barrow since there weren’t any surgeons near us who could handle it.”

That is why the Brame family supports the innovative work at the Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center, which is led by Dr. Lawton. Scientists in the Center, like S. Paul Oh, PhD, are investigating whether preventing the overexpression of a specific gene will stop the growth of AVMs. These findings could pave the way for a medication-based approach to preventing AVM ruptures, which could be lifesaving for patients like Kris.

Join the Brame family in supporting aneurysm and AVM research at Barrow today.

Kris, one month after surgery – working on a translation!