Ian Applegate suffered a stoke after a sneezing fit
A man almost died after a sneeze ruptured an artery in his neck that caused him to have a stroke.
Ian Applegate, a 35-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, was sitting in his car with his wife, Jennifer, and their young son, Jon, when something unexpected happened.
After sneezing three times, he was suddenly hit by an intense, blinding headache, accompanied by dizzying vertigo and sharp, shooting pain that radiated up his neck to the back of his head and left eye. What followed was a terrifying sensation of pins and needles, as his entire left side—including his face—went completely numb.
Ian Applegate, a devoted father from Santa Cruz, California, was rushed to the Dominican Hospital after experiencing a terrifying medical emergency on February 9. He had just returned to work following a week of battling the flu and was getting ready to drive his four-year-old son, Jon, when he sneezed. After the third sneeze, Ian was struck by a blinding headache, dizziness, and excruciating pain that shot up his neck and into his left eye. His entire left side, including his face, went numb.
Doctors quickly determined that Ian had suffered a stroke, caused by a tear in the inner lining of his vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the spinal cord and central nervous system. The force of his sneeze had triggered this tear, blocking the artery and sparking the life-threatening event.
Ian was immediately given blood-thinning medication to prevent further blood clots and spent 24 hours in the ICU. However, the recovery process is far from easy. Unable to swallow and needing assistance to walk due to the damage to his left side, Ian remains in the hospital. His doctors are optimistic that rehabilitative therapy will help restore his muscles, and he hopes to be home in time for the birth of his second child—a baby girl—this April.
Reflecting on his near-death experience, Ian recalled, “I had just put our son in his car seat and started the car when I sneezed three times. After the third sneeze, everything went black. I knew right away something was terribly wrong.” He described the pain as excruciating, accompanied by severe disorientation and vomiting.
Now, Ian is left with an overwhelming fear of sneezing in the future. “It was a pretty hard sneeze, but I never thought it would cause something like this,” he shared. “I’m scared to sneeze now. My wife is eight months pregnant, and I want to be there for the delivery.”
His sister, Vanessa Applegate, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the family’s mounting medical bills and Ian’s time off work. As of now, the campaign has raised over $10,900, with Vanessa sharing updates about Ian’s ongoing struggle. Despite the difficulty, she says her brother is “working as hard as he can to improve.”
Ian remains determined to stay positive, saying, “I just want to be home in time for the baby’s birth. I’m doing everything I can to stay strong and continue my exercises to get better.”
