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Kirsten Storms opened up about her health with a mix of strength and clarity earlier this year. The General Hospital actor recently revealed that a brain aneurysm was found in early 2025, and surgery is scheduled in two weeks. This came nearly three years after she had a craniotomy in 2021 to remove a cyst. The discovery happened after a January scan when she began to experience symptoms her doctors believed could be brain-related.
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The doctors were not able to treat the aneurysm immediately after finding it. A procedure was followed that involved a camera being threaded from her leg to her brain, but because of the complexity of the situation, the aneurysm was not coiled that weekend. It added another chapter to a long personal health journey that has unfolded while she continues to be a part of a show she has called home for two decades.
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Kristen Storms’ 20 Years As Maxie Jones On General Hospital
For Storms, the health battle comes during a milestone year in her career. She celebrated 20 years as Maxie Jones on May 23, marking two decades of playing a character who became one of the soap’s most loved figures. Before arriving in Port Charles, she was already a familiar face, having played Belle Black on Days of Our Lives from 1999 to 2004 and Zenon in three Disney Channel films.
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However, even though she was not completely familiar with the ABC series, she was aware of the show’s prominent names and remembers how meeting Steve Burton left her trying to keep her cool.
Transforming Into Maxie Jones & Winning Over Fans
Taking on Maxie was a turning point in Storms’ career. “It was the first time I ever played a bad girl for an extended period of time, and it was a challenge,” she told TVinsider. However, over time, she began weaving her own sense of humor into the character, and that gave her the ease she needed to make it her own.
“I think once I figured out that I could inject humor into it, that’s when I really felt comfortable, because I was able to put a little bit of me in there,” she explained. “So, the first few years were a little bit rocky for me, as far as figuring out, as an actor, what I was doing, but once I got in a groove, I’ve loved every minute of it ever since.”
Stroms understood the importance of stepping into a role that already had an established face and fanbase, but she trusted her instincts and believed she could win people over. “I knew I was going to just do it very differently than the actress before me [Robyn Richards],” Storms noted. “I thought fans would be a little bit upset about it initially. I thought, ‘If I do my best, I can win that group over.’ I try not to think negatively in situations like that. I’m a believer that you manifest outcomes sometimes, so if your mindset is negative, you’re just going to attract the negativity.”
Kristen Storms’ Fan-Favorite Maxie & Spinelli Storyline
One of Storms’ favorite storylines remains Maxie’s unexpected romance with Damian Spinelli. It softened the character’s image and created one of the most loved pairings on the show. “I loved the idea of this fashionista and this extremely intelligent, kind of nerdy young guy falling in love with each other. So that would be my all-time favorite,” she shared.
She also remembered the adventure plots with Emme Rylan in 2017, including an episode that had them sneaking through a medical office while she was awkwardly stuck in stirrups pretending to have a procedure. They ended that day laughing together.
Strong Bond With General Hospital Co-Stars
The 41-year-old’s bond with her General Hospital co-stars is strong. Kristina Wagner’s presence has always felt comforting to her, and Cynthia Watros gives her the same feeling of making scenes easier. John York kept Storms’ mood light with his humor and preparation, while Lynn Herring, who plays Lucy Coe, remains her favorite person on set. Lynn is quieter than her character and owns a cattle farm, which fascinates Storms, and working with her even after two decades keeps things enjoyable.
Kristen Storms hailed executive producer Frank Valentini for helping her stay so long. His work ethic and loyalty inspired her, and watching him run the show made her want to keep learning different aspects of television. Fame was never her goal. The craft itself and the people around her gave her reasons to keep going.
Kristen Storms Facing Surgery With Strength & Determination
After twenty years, Storms sees the fans as a crucial part of her journey whose unconditional support carried her through hard times and reminded her why she stayed. Their kindness, she said, mattered more than they may ever know.
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Now, with surgery approaching, she faces another health battle with the same openness and grit she has shown throughout her career. Her return to the set is something she has determined to make happen, holding on to the same strength that built her two-decade run as Maxie Jones.
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