Docs save ‘ticking time bomb’ baby
MUM & TOT COULD HAVE DIED AT ANY MOMENT
A MUM-TO-BE felt like a “ticking time bomb” after doctors spotted a brain aneurysm that could burst and kill her at any moment.
Sarah Pilgrim was 34 weeks pregnant when she began waking up with severe headaches.
She feared it was pre-eclampsia – a rare pregnancy complication – but all the tests came back negative until an MRI scan revealed a bleed on the brain.
The 31-year-old was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, an unusual tangle of blood vessels.
Medics had no choice but to perform an emergency C-section, delivering little Sydney at 36 weeks.
The stay-at-home mum, who with partner David, 40, already had two children – Dexter, three, and 10-year-old Harvey – said: “At 34 weeks, I suddenly developed terrible headaches.
“I was in so much pain, I couldn’t even make a packed lunch.
“It was terrifying, aneurysms can be unpredictable so the doctors had to act fast. I was a ticking time bomb; I could’ve died at any moment. But I feel lucky it was caught in time and my boy arrived safe.”
Doctors suspected Sarah was born with the condition and the change in her blood pressure while pregnant expanded the vessels, potentially causing a brain bleed.
After the birth, Sarah had a 10hour operation to remove the cluster of blood vessels.
She was kept in intensive care, spending a month in total recovering in hospital, and finally reunited with Sydney two days after surgery.
Now, 14 weeks on, the pair are both home and doing well.
Sarah, of Attleborough, Norwich, is sharing her story to raise awareness of AVM and encourage others to have symptoms checked out.
She said: “I know someone who had a brain aneurysm and died. It’s really important to listen to your body if something doesn’t feel right.
“I feel very lucky that I’m here and that Sydney is too – I won’t take life for granted.”