Patient Stories: Christopher Privitera
Gifts to Orlando Health Foundation make life-saving care possible by supporting the compassionate care, advanced treatment and personalized support that helped Bridgette and Chris move from fear and uncertainty in the emergency room to hope, healing and a future together.
For eight months, Chris, a 41-year-old St. Petersburg local, had been experiencing persistent headaches he attributed to long work hours and stress. On New Year’s Eve 2025, everything changed. He woke unable to speak and began vomiting. His fiancé, Bridgette, drove him to the nearest Orlando Health Emergency Room, just minutes from their home.
A rapid CT scan revealed a meningioma — a noncancerous tumor that had been silently growing for more than five years — so large it had pushed Chris’ brain to the opposite side of his skull. He needed emergency surgery and was rushed to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital. During the ambulance ride, Chris began to experience multiple strokes, which dangerously continued during surgery. Doctors later credited Bridgette with saving his life - 30 more minutes at home, and he may have died.
After removing the tumor, Chris spent 16 days in a medically induced coma in the neuro ICU, followed by intensive inpatient rehabilitation. Bridgette remained by his side, building meaningful connections with his care team while supporting his recovery.
Chris relearned how to navigate daily life despite stroke-induced vision loss and has remained determined to continue his healing. Thanks to the care team’s immediate action and the lifesaving care he received, he is now home, moving forward with gratitude.
