Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 8 SPONSORED CONTENT PROVIDED BY SEATTLE CHILDREN'S In 2021, 2-week-old Jiana was seen at Seattle Children’s after her parents noticed some concerning twitching behavior. That day marked the beginning of an unexpected journey for Jiana and her family, involving an epilepsy diagnosis, a renowned neurosurgeon and a dramatic brain surgery that gave Jiana a new start in life. Jiana was born in August 2021, a healthy 9 pounds full of promise. Her mother, Latika, remembers, “Her pediatrician called her ‘textbook baby’ when she first saw her.” For parents Latika and Kunal, Jiana’s smooth birth was a welcome relief after the stress of a pandemic pregnancy. Settling in with their newborn, they thought the hardest phase was behind them. But in the days to come, they noticed some odd behaviors in Jiana such as sudden twitching and freezing up during feeding. “Being first-time parents, we read a lot of different blogs and thought it was colic ... or maybe that the formula wasn’t suiting her,” Latika says. The episodes grew more frequent. In one frightening spell, Jiana froze up for about 30 seconds, prompting Latika to share a video with their pediatrician who urged them to take Jiana to Children’s Emergency Department right away. “We thought we would be back home in a couple of hours,” says Kunal. But this was just the beginning of a new journey. A difficult diagnosis to hear When Jiana first arrived at Children’s, neurologist Dr. Annie Weisner recalls she looked perfectly healthy, “doing everything a 2-week-old is supposed to do.” But an MRI showed she had a brain malformation causing multiple seizures each day. Jiana was diagnosed with Team challenge: Textbook birth to troubling signs Your generous gifts to Seattle Children’s bring hope, care and cures to families right here in our community – and help to support our founding promise to care for every child, regarding of their family’s ability to pay. Learn more at www.seattlechildrens.org. severe epilepsy. The care team tried a variety of anti-seizure medications on Jiana, but the medications could only control her visible seizures. Dr. Jason Hauptman, a renowned neurosurgeon in the area of childhood epilepsy, came to see Latika and Kunal. He explained that medications were only a temporary solution; they wouldn’t stop Jiana from seizing and could cause harmful cognitive effects. There was a way to cure Jiana’s epilepsy permanently. But it would involve dramatic brain surgery. Treatment takes shape The procedure is called a functional hemispherectomy — a targeted brain surgery where a portion of tissue is removed to disable the connections between two halves of the brain that trigger seizures. Latika and Kunal weighed the risks. Hauptman recalls, “At first, they were shocked and wrestled with the idea of doing such a dramatic surgery on their beautiful baby. But we know the sooner you intervene, the better kids do.” Latika and Kunal did their research. Worry gave way to confidence as they learned about Hauptman’s expertise in this area, and that Seattle Children’s offers the most advanced and minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment options for children with epilepsy. Seattle Children’s is also one of the few centers in the world that has done upwards of 100 procedures like the one Jiana needed. Eight hours that changed a life Hauptman laid it out very clearly, and Kunal says, “He was confident that Jiana would still learn to walk, run, throw a ball and go to mainstream school.” When Jiana was 2 months old, Hauptman performed the intensive, eight-hour surgery to remove the affected brain tissue. The procedure went perfectly, recalls Hauptman — and the hours after surgery marked the first time in Jiana’s life that she was seizure free. Then, more good news: Jiana’s EEG tests came back clean. Jiana soon began regaining her strength. A new life awaited her. A bright future Today, Jiana is almost 2 years old, and continues to enjoy life free of seizures. She is a healthy, joyful toddler who is hitting developmental milestones and growing stronger every day. Hauptman says, “She is incredibly vibrant and verbal and intelligent and feisty and all the things that I want to see in her.” Jiana continues to receive care from a multidisciplinary team of epilepsy experts. Kunal says, “She’s one year out of surgery and she has already made so much progress. So, we are very optimistic about her future.” Indeed, Jiana has a lot to look forward to in life — first and foremost, becoming a big sister. Dr. Ghayda Mirzaa leads genetic research to identify the causes of epilepsy and personalize treatments for patients like Jiana. Kunal with Jiana as she sits on a balance board to strengthen her core. Donate today! Dr. Jason Hauptman meets with Jiana and her mother, Latika, 18 months after Jiana’s life-changing surgery. (Photos courtesy of Seattle Children’s)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDIxMDU=