New mother who lost sight after birth has vision restored with donated plasma

A woman who was unable to see following the birth of her first child has had her sight restored following a plasma donation.

Jessica Kent-Hazledine said she feared she “wouldn’t be able to see my baby grow up” when her vision started to go in April last year, but a year on her sight is “so much better”.

The 33-year-old dentist from Cornwall woke up two weeks after having her son with little vision in her left eye, which she put down to tiredness.

However, she soon lost vision in her right eye, leaving her “terrified” that she would not see her baby grow up.

“I’d urge absolutely everybody who is eligible to go and give blood or plasma”, said Ms Kent-Hazledine. / Credit: NHSBT via PA Wire

“I was a new mum, not getting much sleep,” Ms Kent-Hazledine said.

“But I thought I should probably get it checked out and the next thing I knew I was having an urgent MRI and blood tests. It was all very scary, I was thinking the worst.

“When my vision went in my right eye, too, I was terrified – I thought I wouldn’t be able to see my baby grow up.

“I had been a mum for two weeks and was faced with the prospect of not being able to see my son again, it was awful.”

After trying some other treatments, medics arranged a plasma exchange for Ms Kent-Hazledine which was carried out by a new service run by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)in the South West.

As part of the process, a patient’s plasma – the liquid component of blood that helps transport blood cells, nutrients and hormones around the body – is removed from the bloodstream and replaced with donor plasma.

This helped stop the antibodies in Ms Kent-Hazledine’s blood from attacking and damaging the protective layer around the nerve fibres in her eyes.

She can now see clearly out of her right eye and has around 75% sight in her left.

“It’s been almost a year now and my sight is so much better – I still have some blurring in half of my left eye but I can look after my son and live an independent life, which I was worried I wouldn’t be able to”, she said.

The plasma exchange was performed by NHSBT’s therapeutic apheresis services (TAS), which is working with four hospitals in the region.

She added: “I’m eternally grateful to those people who donated blood and plasma – it’s only thanks to them that that plasma was available and I’m able to see again.

“I don’t think people realise just how much good donation can do – we all know blood can be used in emergencies but it can also be used to help so many people like me.

“I’d urge absolutely everybody who is eligible to go and give blood or plasma – and thank you to those who already do.”

Emma Warner, lead nurse at NHS Blood and Transplant’s TAS in Plymouth, who treated Ms Kent-Hazledine, said: “This vital service is giving patients access to timely, specialist care close to home.

“For new mum Jessica, this meant everything.

“She was able to receive the treatment she needed as an outpatient, staying by her baby’s side instead of enduring long, stressful journeys or the prospect of being admitted far from home.”