CLEVELAND – Mother’s Day will be extra special for one West Virginia mom this year.
After overcoming a rare brain defect that threatened both her and her unborn son’s life – she’s relishing every moment of motherhood.
Six months into her first pregnancy, Jennifer Chase knew something wasn’t quite right.
“I noticed some dizziness and double vision, really I didn’t even know it was double vision, just some blurriness,” she said.
Scans revealed a complex tangle of arteries and veins in Jennifer’s brain – called an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM.
“They’re particularly challenging in the brain because they are hard to access and they can also cause bleeding into the brain, which is a very serious problem,” said Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon Mark Bain, M.D.
As the vessels grew, so did the chance they’d rupture – putting Jennifer and her baby in danger.
“If something bad happens to mom, then the baby is at risk of loss of life, or damage as well,” said Cleveland Clinic’s Katherine Singh, M.D., a maternal fetal medicine specialist who cared for Jennifer during her pregnancy.
Cleveland Clinic doctors drilled a hole in Jennifer’s skull to monitor her brain pressure. Under anesthesia, they delivered her baby boy early via cesarean section.
The following day, doctors treated the vessels in her brain. Three days later, she was finally able to see Wesley, her newborn son.
“He was so little – he was so little – so it was… wonderful,” Jennifer said. “He was 3 pounds, 10 ounces -just a little guy – he’s a big chunk now!”
The abnormal vessels in Jennifer’s brain have shrunk, and now, she and Wesley are home – together – and the new family is ready for their first Mother’s Day.
Doctors believe Jennifer’s brain malformation is gone for good. Little Wesley is almost eight months old – he’s happy, healthy and meeting his developmental milestones.
“It’s a special time and it really makes you think about life and how much I really appreciate life and everything that we have,” said Jennifer’s husband, Chris Chase. “I could shower her with gifts for Mother’s Day, but the greatest gift is having them in good health.”
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