A makeup artist who suffered a brain bleed when she was allegedly hit in the head with a baseball bat while watching a training game says she suffers from memory loss and constant headaches four years later
Alexandra ‘Allie’ Binkowski, 24, grew up in Ottawa, Canada, but always followed the Chicago Cubs and, when she left home, she would watch games three or four times a week.
But, in March 2015, while watching the Cubs in a spring training game, the day turned into a nightmare.
A player swung his bat around, accidentally let go of it, and it soared into Binkowski’s head. The force threw her off her chair, and when she landed the bat fell down on the back of her neck.
Binkowski was originally told she had a minor concussion. But, after vomiting for days after, a spinal tap revealed she was actually suffering from a brain bleed.
In the years since she has had various treatments for the pain – from opioid prescriptions to burning the nerves in her face, head and neck, to a stimulator placed in her lower back. She also needed a surgery to re-route her stomach, and three blood transfusions.
Binkowski says nothing has worked, she still vomits regularly, and she still experiences memory loss, and the ongoing headache she has had for the last four years.
Alexandra Binkowski, 24, of Scottsdale, Arizona, said she was hit in the head by a baseball bat during a Chicago Cubs spring training game in March 2015. Pictured: Binkowski, right, with her friend Ellyn, right, at a baseball game before the day she was hit
Paramedics allegedly believed Binkowski she only had a concussion and to get some rest. However, for a week after, she claims she had constant headaches, was vomiting and disoriented. Pictured: Binkowskiwith a friend, left, and right
Binkowski, now based in Scottsdale, Arizona, said it was during the third inning of the game that the bat flew into the stands and hit her.
‘No one came over to see if I was alright, but [my friend] Ellyn and I walked over to the paramedics because I suddenly had no idea where I was,’ she said.
‘I thought I was okay, but I didn’t know my whereabouts and I had a huge headache.’
The stadium’s paramedics allegedly thought it was simply a concussion and that, with some rest, Binkowski would be fine.
But her headache remained for the rest of the week and then she started constantly vomiting in the days after.
She was in and out of hospital for a few days and, about two weeks after the accident happened, doctors did a spinal tap to drain fluid.
The spinal tap revealed a bleed on her brain.
It forced Binkowski to put her life on pause, deferring from university for a year to make time for the constant medical appointments.
‘After a year, I decided to return just to get my degree, but my final year of university was filled with surgeries, trips to hospital and doctors appointments,’ she said.
Doctors allegedly believed the bleed was minor and that it would lessen on its own and Binkowski’s condition would improve over time.
Binkowski underwent a spinal tap two weeks after the incident, which revealed she actually had a brain bleed. Pictured: Binkowski, left, with her friend Ellyn, right, outside the Chicago Cubs stadium during a training game
Doctors allegedly believed the bleed was minor and that it would lessen on its own. But Binkowski says she still suffers from daily headaches that are very painful. Pictured: Binkowski in the hospital, left, and with a therapy dog, right
This doesn’t appear to be the case however and she is still searching for relief from the headaches she has had every day since 2015.
Binkowski suffers from mobility loss due to the intense pain she finds herself in constantly, as well as short-term memory loss which can cause her to forget what’s been said during a conversation.
‘I had the nerves burnt off in my face, head and neck to help with the pain. I also had a stimulator put in under the skin in my lower back to help the headaches by stimulating the nerves, but it was unsuccessful so I’m having it removed,’ she said.
‘My headaches are all day, every day and on a pain level of one to 10 (one being the lowest), they range from an eight to a 10.’
In the last four months, after experiencing horrible stomach pains, doctors found ulcers in Binkowski’s stomach and intestines.
‘They eventually had to do surgery and re-route my stomach because there was so much scar tissue,’ she said.
‘They believe I developed them because of the medication I had to take for my head.’
Binkowski says she’s tried multiple treatments, from opioid prescriptions to burning the nerves in her face, head and neck, to a stimulator, but nothing has worked. Pictured: Binkowski being monitored in the hospital
She’s also had to have her stomach re-routed after ulcers were found in her stomach and intestines, allegedly from her head medication. Pictured: Binkowski in the hospital
The brain injury halted Binkowski’s life and she found herself spending her time delving into her love of makeup as it gave her something to look forward to aside from hospital appointments.
She now posts regularly tutorials on her Instagram, @allieballiemakeup and said she hopes to inspire others.
‘I currently have a feeding tube to receive all my food and nutrients, and I have a PICC line which I have to connect to an IV bag for 12 hours a day,” she said.
‘I haven’t had a day without a headache for four years but even after all this, I like to remain as positive as possible.’
‘This whole injury has taught me patience and taught me how strong I am.’
The Chicago Cubs did not immediately reply to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.