Mother Regains Sight After Sudden Blindness Post-Childbirth
Jessica Kent-Hazledine, a 33-year-old mother from Cornwall, experienced a terrifying loss of vision just weeks after giving birth to her son. Waking up with almost no sight in her left eye and soon after losing vision in her right, she faced the harrowing possibility of permanent blindness. But thanks to an innovative plasma exchange treatment, her vision has dramatically improved, restoring her ability to care for and cherish her child.
From Newborn Joy to Vision Loss
Two weeks after becoming a mother, Jessica noticed her left eye’s vision deteriorated sharply. Initially attributing it to exhaustion, she soon lost sight in her right eye as well. “I was terrified,” Jessica recalls. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to see my baby grow up — to witness his changing face, his first steps, or his first day at school. I had been a mum for just two weeks and faced the prospect of never seeing my son again.”
Urgent Medical Intervention
Following urgent MRI scans and blood tests, doctors identified that antibodies in Jessica’s bloodstream were attacking the protective layers around her eye nerve fibers, causing her vision loss. After trying various treatments, medical professionals turned to a cutting-edge plasma exchange therapy offered by the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service in the South West.
This procedure involves removing the patient’s plasma—the blood’s liquid component responsible for transporting cells, nutrients, and hormones—and replacing it with donor plasma. This exchange helps eliminate harmful antibodies, preventing further nerve damage.
Remarkable Recovery Through Plasma Exchange
Jessica underwent five plasma exchange sessions. She noticed significant improvements by the third session, and by the fifth, her vision had nearly returned to normal. Today, she can see clearly out of her right eye and retains approximately 75% vision in her left.
“By the fifth exchange, I felt almost like myself again. It felt like magic,” Jessica says. “Nearly a year later, my sight is so much better. Though some blurring remains in part of my left eye, I can fully care for my son and live independently—something I feared I might never do.”
Advancing Treatments and Donor Appreciation
Jessica was the first patient in Cornwall to benefit from the NHSBT’s new Therapeutic Apheresis Service (TAS), which collaborates with four hospitals in the region to deliver this life-changing treatment.
Grateful for the donors who made her recovery possible, she urges others to contribute. “Many people don’t realize how much blood and plasma donation can help. Beyond emergency use, these donations support patients like me in profound ways. I encourage everyone eligible to donate blood or plasma—it truly saves lives.”
