From coma to pitcher’s mound: Brandyn Flores’ recovery

Here’s a follow-up on a story we brought to you in October.

A Tornillo football player who suffered a brain aneurysm during a game that sent him to the intensive care unit for 14 days is now fully recovered.

Friday afternoon, that player, Brandyn Flores took to the baseball field.

Brandyn was fighting for his life six months ago and Friday he was striking out his opponents like he had never seen the inside of a hospital room.

In the little town of Tornillo it’s game day for the Coyotes.

As always, the team strives to be the best but on this day the player taking the mound has a lot to be thankful for.

In October Brandyn walked off the football field feeling sick. At first thought for many, a concussion but it was far worse.

Brandyn suffered a brain aneurysm — a bulging artery in the brain.

“I didn’t want to believe it. It’s not that it didn’t happen I didn’t want to believe it,” said Brandyn.

Brandyn was taken to the hospital and within an hour he was undergoing surgery.

“It’s not a good feeling and that’s the last thing I would want any parent to go through,” said Brandyn’s father, Al Flores.

The elder Flores has seen his son’s athletic accomplishments for years and seeing him in a induced coma for 10 days was the hardest thing he’s gone through saying a higher power is what helped Brandyn come through.

“Prayer..prayer helped my son,” Al Flores said.

Brandyn doesn’t remember much of the incident but does remember the recovery process.

“It’s hard not being able to walk and to barely being able to talk. Your mechanics are all wrong,” said Brandyn.

Doctors had told Brandyn he wouldn’t be able to play sports again and with perseverance he fully recuperated and was allowed to play again.

“The first time was scary,” said Brandyn.

Brandyn tells ABC-7 he was worried about getting hit with a ball but once he got over that fear he took to the field.

This time as the teams pitcher.

“I really believe nothing can hold me back from what I’m doing now and what I’m going to do in the future,” Brandyn went on to say, “and hopefully my story can help others get out of bed and do what they want to do to succeed in their life”.