Nolan Estepp remains hospitalized in Orlando following a ruptured brain AVM suffered during PE class at Old Kings Elementary on April 27. Photo provided by his mother, Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp remains hospitalized in Orlando following a ruptured brain AVM suffered during PE class at Old Kings Elementary on April 27. Photo provided by his mother, Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp holds his mother Ashley Lugo’s hand from his hospital bed in Orlando as he continues recovering from a ruptured brain AVM suffered at school in late April. Photo provided by Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp before suffering a ruptured brain AVM during PE class at Old Kings Elementary in late April. Photo provided by Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp celebrates a birthday prior to suffering a ruptured brain AVM during PE class at Old Kings Elementary in late April. Photo provided by Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp poses with his family prior to the medical emergency that hospitalized him in late April. Photo provided by Ashley Lugo.
Nolan Estepp before suffering a ruptured brain AVM during PE class at Old Kings Elementary in late April. Photo provided by Ashley Lugo.
The Palm Coast and Flagler County community is rallying around 10-year-old Nolan Estepp and his family after the Old Kings Elementary student suffered a devastating brain AVM rupture while at school late last month.
Nolan remains hospitalized in Orlando as he continues fighting through what his mother, Ashley Lugo, described as a long and uncertain recovery process following emergency brain surgery and weeks in intensive care. Meanwhile, friends, family members and complete strangers have stepped forward with donations, prayer vigils and a growing fundraiser effort to support the family during the crisis.
A “Benefit for Nolan” fundraiser is now planned for Saturday, May 30 at noon at 1405 Saloon in Bunnell. The event will include raffles, a silent auction, live music, food, snow cones, bounce houses, face painting and activities for children, with all proceeds benefiting Nolan and his family.
According to Lugo, Nolan suffered the rupture during PE class at Old Kings Elementary on April 27.
“He grabbed his head and screamed on the top of his lungs, and then he vomited on himself,” Lugo said. “He aspirated, and then he passed out.”
Doctors later determined Nolan suffered a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, commonly known as an AVM, deep within the thalamus portion of his brain. An AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. When an AVM ruptures, it causes bleeding in the brain and can quickly become life threatening.
Lugo said Nolan underwent emergency surgery after being airlifted to Orlando.
“He is currently in the ICU on life support, fighting for his life,” Lugo said in an online fundraiser message shared with the community.
The first days after the rupture were especially difficult.
“Nolan spent from April 27 to May 1 very touch and go fighting for his life every day,” Lugo said. “They didn’t think he was going to survive.”
At one point, doctors feared Nolan may have been brain dead after scans showed no brain activity following heavy sedation used to reduce dangerous swelling in his brain.
But days later, Nolan began responding.
“Three days later, he started reacting,” Lugo said. “His eyes are reacting to light. And that’s when it was confirmed that he was not brain dead. It was honestly the best news I could have ever heard in my life at that point.”
Since then, Lugo said Nolan has shown additional encouraging signs, including opening his eyes and squeezing her hand.
“It was the best Mother’s Day present I could have ever asked for,” Lugo said after describing the emotional moment Nolan grabbed her hand from his hospital bed.
Doctors are now attempting to remove Nolan from the ventilator and begin the next phase of recovery, though Lugo said there are still many unknowns about long-term effects from the brain injury.
“They don’t know. There is no answer,” Lugo said regarding Nolan’s recovery outlook. “There’s no way to tell what parts of his brain was damaged.”
Nolan, who Lugo described as “the smartest kid I’ve ever met in my life,” is known for his love of history, video games and helping other children who are bullied at school. Lugo said Nolan hopes to become either a YouTuber or a computer programmer when he grows up.
“He is the most empathetic, give the shirt off your back type of kid,” Lugo said.
The family’s financial challenges have also mounted as Lugo remains by Nolan’s side in Orlando and is unable to continue operating her cleaning business.
“I’ve had no income since April 27,” Lugo said.
Support for Nolan has spread well beyond Flagler County. Lugo said people from around the world have reached out with prayers, donations and messages of encouragement.
“We have people in Africa and China praying for Nolan,” Lugo said. “There’s people all over the world praying for my son.”
Lugo said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
“I just want to thank everybody for their support and their love,” she said. “Those messages and those prayers are definitely what got me through.”
Community members can also support Nolan’s family through the GoFundMe campaign, “Prayers and Support for Nolan’s Fight for Life,” which has already raised more than $28,000. Donations can be made through the fundraiser page at GoFundMe for Nolan Stepp.
The “Benefit for Nolan” fundraiser will take place May 30 at noon at 1405 Saloon, located at 1405 East Moody Boulevard in Bunnell. Organizers say all proceeds will go directly toward helping Nolan and his family with medical expenses, bills and ongoing recovery costs.
