ROCKLEDGE, Fla. - A Brevard County family is warning others not to dismiss persistent headaches after a Rockledge mother of four suffered a sudden and severe brain aneurysm in July.

What we know:

Mary Montalvo, 48, collapsed on July 11 after passing out and vomiting, prompting her fiancé, Juan Sarmiento, to rush her to the hospital. Doctors determined she had suffered a traumatic brain bleed. She underwent surgery to relieve pressure in her head and spent time on a ventilator.

Montalvo, once described by her family as healthy aside from frequent headaches and occasional vision problems, is now in a rehabilitation facility in Orlando. She is breathing on her own but not yet speaking, and her family says there is no timeline for when she might return home.

Doctors drilled into her head to help alleviate pressure, and she was on a ventilator for a while. Mary's family hopes people take aneurysms seriously and speak with doctors about health concerns to try and prevent another tragedy.

Dig deeper:

An aneurysm is a type of brain bleed according to doctors. Many patients describe it as the worst headache they've ever experienced in their life with sharp, sudden and severe pain. Factors like smoking, high blood pressure and family history can play a role in having an aneurysm, but they're also somewhat random.

Recovery differs for everyone, but people who have the best chances at getting better get to the hospital within the first hour of symptoms.

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You can get imaging or scans done if you're concerned and always bring up any concerns you have with your doctor.

What they're saying:

Mary's family hopes her story can be a warning for others.

"Don't think it's just a headache, or it's just your vision impaired. It could be something seriously going on in there. We don't know because it's the brain," said Juan Sarmiento who's Mary's fiancé.

Doctors say aneurysms are hard to prevent, but rapid emergency intervention helps better your chances of recovery.

"Our concern is when you have an exertional activity followed by that sudden onset headache that kind of intense in severity within that first hour," Dr. Bobby Ford who's an ER doc at Orlando Health East Region.

How You Can Help:

Mary can't work, so her family started a Go Fund Me to help with ongoing expenses. You can follow her story and updates by clicking here.