09/28/2026
There’s something that’s been weighing on me lately, and I need to get it off my chest... Buckle up, because this is going to be a long Moya Monday post, but I think it’ll be worth the read.
Three years ago today, this angiogram was taken, and our lives changed forever.
Our son had been sick and could barely keep anything down. We thought it was just a stomach bug that would pass, so we were pushing fluids and kept him home from school at my mom’s house while I worked.
Around 9 AM, my mom called me and said he was acting strange. He was tearing apart a paper towel, turning the sink k***s on and off, and just wasn’t acting like himself.
When I got there, I knew something was very wrong. I called my husband immediately and rushed our son to the hospital.
He was stiff, wasn’t verbal, wouldn’t answer our questions, and had a death grip on the headrest in the car that he wouldn’t let go of. When we got to the hospital, he passed out for a few seconds during the pre-check.
They took him back for a CT scan, and the nurses kept asking if he had hit his head or been injured at school.
“No,” I kept saying.
Finally, I asked why they were asking, and they told me they thought he might have a brain bleed.
Our hearts sank.
He was in so much pain. Hearing your child scream and not being able to fix it is heartbreaking. After asking repeatedly, the doctor finally gave him medication to help with the pain.
We were airlifted to a children’s hospital in Dallas. After more tests, the neurologist told us that our son had suffered a stroke caused by Moyamoya disease.
Moyamoya is a rare, progressive condition where the arteries in the brain narrow over time, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of strokes, even in children.
He was only six years old. How was this possible? This couldn’t be happening to our child.
The stroke was in his frontal lobe, which affects emotions, personality, judgment, decision-making, problem-solving, and self-control. He wasn’t the same after the stroke. He was angry and struggling, but we knew it wasn’t his fault.
The neurologist told us our son would need two brain surgeries.
There is no cure for Moyamoya. Without surgery, the disease would continue to progress and could cause more strokes. Moyamoya doesn’t just go away. It gets worse.
My husband and I sat in the car for two hours after that conversation, crying and trying to process what we had just been told. How do you make that kind of decision for your child, especially when you’ve never even heard of the disease before?
We did a ton of research, weighed the pros and cons, and cried, prayed, and tried to understand everything we could. A few days later, we let the neurologist know that we had decided to move forward with the surgeries.
He had his first surgery in January 2024 and his second in April.
Our son was bedridden for a while and had to relearn how to eat, talk, and walk. He went through physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, which he is still doing today. We spent about two months in the hospital.
Thankfully, family and friends came to visit and gave us opportunities to try to take a break. We were a wreck, to say the least.
I kept asking myself if there was something different I could have done to prevent this. I already know the answer: there wasn’t.
I asked over and over, “Why us? Why our child?” He was innocent and shouldn’t have had to endure everything he went through.
But then I stop and think about it.
He is a warrior! He has a purpose, and so does his story! He is still here today for a reason, and this is his testimony.
No matter what happens, we will always love him unconditionally.
Today, our son is doing so much better. We still face challenges every now and then, but I am grateful every single day that we still have him here and get to watch him grow.
He has been a fighter since birth. He is a survivor, and he has the strength to overcome any obstacle.
That is our purpose. No family or person should have to endure the pain and heartache that we went through. That’s why awareness matters.
That’s why this bakery is called Moya Coop and Confections. That’s why blue is a part of our brand. It represents Moyamoya awareness.
A portion of every purchase is donated to support Moyamoya awareness. I want our story to help more people learn about this disease and help other families feel less alone in their journey. Every order helps make that possible, and I’m truly grateful for your support.
Thank you for being a part of this mission with me. 💙
