It began as a routine way to cope with a demanding schedule, but it ended with a young father fighting for his life and losing a portion of his skull. In 2017, a series of viral photos shocked social media users worldwide, revealing the devastating physical aftermath of a brain hemorrhage attributed to excessive energy drink consumption.
The images showed a man named Austin with a significant depression in his forehead and skull, a stark visual record of a medical emergency that nearly killed him just weeks before the birth of his first child.
A Dangerous Habit Forms
Austin’s ordeal started when he began working longer hours and facing a lengthy commute. To stay awake and maintain his energy levels, he turned to energy drinks. Over several months, this became a daily habit.
His wife, Brianna, later reported that he was consuming these beverages in large quantities, unaware of the silent toll the high levels of caffeine and stimulants were taking on his cardiovascular system. There were no immediate warning signs—until the day the accumulated pressure became too much.
The Collapse and Diagnosis
One morning, tragedy struck. Austin suffered a sudden and catastrophic brain hemorrhage. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery. Initially, the cause was a mystery. Toxicology reports came back negative for illicit drugs.
After ruling out other factors, doctors concluded that his excessive consumption of energy drinks was the precipitating cause of the hemorrhage. The potent mix of ingredients had likely caused a severe spike in blood pressure, rupturing a blood vessel in his brain.
The Radical Surgery
The bleeding caused massive swelling inside Austin’s cranium. To prevent the pressure from crushing his brain stem—a fatal complication—surgeons performed a decompressive hemicraniectomy. This radical procedure involved removing a large section of the frontal bone of his skull to allow the brain room to expand.
Austin survived the operation but remained in a coma for weeks. When he finally woke up, he was missing a significant portion of his skull, leaving his brain protected only by skin and soft tissue.
Life After the Hemorrhage
Austin defied the odds and woke up just as his wife was preparing to deliver their son. However, his recovery was grueling. The hemorrhage and subsequent surgeries left him with physical and cognitive challenges. He had to relearn basic motor functions and underwent intense physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
The viral photos shared by Brianna were taken during this period, showing him with the visible cranial defect before reconstructive surgery could repair the missing bone. His story remains a documented medical case of the severe, sometimes life-altering risks associated with high-stimulant beverages.
Austin just wanted to stay awake for his long commute, so he started downing energy drinks daily.
But this common habit turned deadly when a massive brain hemorrhage left him in a coma, missing half his skull, and fighting to meet his unborn son…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/vWYhip4CDX
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) December 9, 2025