16-year-old Smithfield boy recovering after suffering major stroke

SMITHFIELD, Cache County — A 16-year-old boy from Smithfield is now facing a long recovery after suffering a major stroke.

While his parents were at a movie, Cid Baillio suddenly collapsed. His 13-year-old brother, unable to reach their parents by phone, sprang into action, calling 911 after seeking advice from the AI Chatbot Microsoft Copilot.

Cid was rushed to the ER, then flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Hospital.

"It's one of those things that you would never really want to have happen as a parent," Cid's dad, Brad Baillio, said. "To see him in the bed, no motion on his left side, seeing the facial droop, it was pretty scary."

Due to swelling in his brain, Cid underwent a hemi-craniotomy, where doctors removed half of his skull. He will remain in the hospital for a month, wearing a helmet for the time being to protect his brain.

Brad Baillio said they are unsure of the cause, as Cid is a healthy, active kid playing on his school's water polo team.

"Teens don't get strokes. It's very rare," he said.

But even with physical and occupational therapy in just the last week, they've seen remarkable improvement.

"He's already up and walking around," Baillio said. "It was a big stroke, and so for him to be doing as well as he is now is pretty miraculous."

A GoFundMe campaign* has been started to help the family with medical expenses.

May is Stroke Awareness Month. Use the acronym BE FAST to remember the signs of a stroke:

• B – Balance problems
• E – Eye or vision loss
• F – Face drooping
• A – Arm weakness
• S – Speech problems
• T – Time to act

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

Related topics