On the Monday of the first week of December last year, Abigail Dalke suffered a miscarriage. The very next day, she lost sight in one eye, and by the following day, doctors discovered a hole in her heart. Medical reports identified that defect as the likely culprit behind both. Still she showed courage and vowed to heal, and this week’s medical report has given them every reason to keep that promise.

“While in the hospital [following the stroke caused by PFO], doctors discovered I had a hole in my heart. After months of appointments, testing, and conversations with specialists, I finally had my PFO (hole) closed today. It’s been a long journey, and I’m grateful to be here, healthy, and taking this important step toward protecting my future,” she wrote on IG. 

Ideally, the hole that they discovered should have been closed at birth, Abigail revealed, but the patent foramen ovale (PFO) remained. Doctors also identified an atrial septal aneurysm, a rare structural irregularity that can increase the risk of blood clots passing through the heart. While a PFO is often benign, it can let clots travel through to the brain and cause a stroke. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that about one in four adults suffers from it.

In Abigail’s case, doctors also diagnosed a branch retinal artery occlusion, a condition where a tiny retinal artery is blocked, usually by an embolus (a blood clot or plaque). Doctors suspect the clot originated from the PFO, meaning the clot travelled to her eye. The same mechanism is thought to have caused her miscarriage. It is also likely that had she not been pregnant, she would never have found the clot.

That is why her next words are emotional. “It’s also a huge step in my fertility journey, and I’m thankful to move forward with hope. Thank you to my incredible husband, doctors, family, and friends for their support.” 

Dalke has been incredibly supportive of his wife through this tough journey. The love that he had for her, Dalke wrote, grew more in those days. He also often shared updates from the week, asking fans to pray for his wife.

Following the tragic week, Dalke put it into words, “Abbie showed me this week that she is the toughest person I know. I don’t know anyone who could go through this week with the attitude that she has had.”

Dalke, who married Abigail last year, has often done his best to make it easier for her, too. Channeling Michael Jackson to make her smile or taking pictures with her while she was admitted to the hospital. 

With the PFO now closed, she can finally look ahead with renewed optimism, both for her long-term health and for the future she and Brad have been working toward together.

Brad Dalke will play on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour

Back in May, Brad Dalke was invited to play the DP World Tour‘s BMW Championship Open (2–5 July). He accepted it with gratitude, writing on his Instagram, “Grateful for this opportunity @bmw_golfsport See y’all in Germany for the BMW International Open! 🇩🇪.”

Good Good Golf star Dalke has his solid resume to account for this opportunity. He won the 2015 Junior PGA Championship and was runner-up at the 2016 U.S. Amateur. It gave him a chance to play the Masters (MC) and the U.S. Open (MC) in the following season. More recently, he took home the Creator Classic title twice. After three years with Good Good Golf, he and fellow member Sean Walsh helped roll out the Good Good Pros YouTube channel, becoming two of its public faces.

Dalke will also make his PGA Tour debut at the Good Good Championship in November, thanks to a sponsor exemption. Speaking about the same, Dalke said, “This has been a dream of mine since I started playing golf as a kid… This is an opportunity to show my maturity as a player, and celebrate the mission of Good Good Golf coming to life.”

For Dalke, who has a pretty simple rule for turning pro on the PGA Tour, this is indeed a huge chance.