Beauty influencer wakes from coma, reunites with baby following aneurysm rupture
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on July 3, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Jackie Miller James, a beauty influencer who suffered a brain aneurysm while nine months pregnant, has woken up from a coma and reunited with her baby, according to her family.
“We are beyond thrilled to share that your loving prayers for Jackie have been working!” James’ family wrote in an Instagram post Sunday. “Jackie is awake and was recently transferred to one of the best neurological rehabilitation hospitals in the country.”
James’ family had confirmed in a June 8 Instagram post that she had “suffered an aneurysm rupture one week from her due date” in May and had been placed in a medically induced coma.
James had severe brain bleeding and injury after the aneurysm rupture and underwent an emergency cesarean section and brain surgery, a spokesperson for the family told ABC News in early June. Her story highlighted the risks of a potential stroke during pregnancy, a condition the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note can be more likely to occur since pregnancy can make the blood clot more, potentially causing a blood vessel obstruction.
After birth, James’ baby spent time in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit, but the baby was discharged home in early June, James’ sisters said.
In their latest update, James’ family said, “Doctors have been pleased upon her latest tests, numbers, and evaluations, noting that Jackie is performing above expectations at this stage of her recovery and is progressing more with every passing day.”
The family said James has a “long road to recovery,” but that her baby girl “is a constant source of light for the entire family.”
“Jackie has also recently been reunited with her baby, and spends a great deal of each day with her entire family while in the hospital,” the family wrote.
James, a California-based influencer, is popular among her social media fans, with over 81,000 Instagram followers and over 5,000 TikTok followers. She shared posts throughout her pregnancy, giving her followers updates into her third trimester.
James’ family added in their update that with James now awake, any subsequent new posts will be from James “if and when she is ready.”
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