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Emilia Clarke’s Brain Aneurysm Experience
Emilia Clarke, renowned for her role in Game of Thrones, faced her own real-life battles. In 2019, she shared her harrowing experience in an essay for The New Yorker titled “A Battle for My Life,” recounting her struggle with a brain aneurysm and her journey to recovery. This article explores Emilia Clarke’s brain aneurysm and her courageous fight for survival.
The Initial Incident
While at the gym, Clarke experienced a severe headache. “I reached the toilet, sank to my knees, and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill,” she penned. “Meanwhile, the pain—shooting, stabbing, constricting pain—was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged.” She was promptly rushed to the hospital for diagnostic imaging.
Diagnosis: Aneurysm and Hemorrhage
The scan revealed a critical condition. “The diagnosis was quick and ominous: a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain,” the Emmy-nominated actress explained. “I’d had an aneurysm, an arterial rupture.” Immediate intervention was required.

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First Surgery and Aphasia
Emilia underwent urgent surgery to seal the ruptured aneurysm. She described the pain as “unbearable.” During her recovery, she suffered from aphasia, resulting in a period where she could only “mutter nonsense.”
Recovery and Discharge
Fortunately, after a week, “the aphasia passed,” and Emilia was discharged from the hospital a month after her admission. The initial crisis had subsided, but her medical journey was far from over.
The Second Aneurysm and Emergency Surgery
In 2013, a follow-up brain scan revealed another health concern. A growth had “doubled in size,” necessitating a second surgical procedure.
“When they woke me, I was screaming in pain,” she recounted. “The procedure had failed. I had a massive bleed and the doctors made it plain that my chances of surviving were precarious if they didn’t operate again. This time they needed to access my brain in the old-fashioned way—through my skull.”
Road to Recovery and Full Health
Thankfully, Emilia emerged from the ordeal successfully. Today, she proudly proclaims that she is now “at a hundred per cent,” having overcome a life-threatening health crisis with remarkable resilience.