Pregnant Mom Suffers Three Strokes Before Doctors Discover a Rare Disease Behind Her Childhood Symptoms

A Texas mother’s life took an unexpected turn when a medical emergency late in pregnancy led doctors to uncover a rare disease that may explain neurological symptoms she had experienced since childhood.

Molly Poenitzsch, now 40, had suffered severe headaches beginning at age 7. As a child, she also experienced a seizure, and several years later she suddenly lost the ability to speak during a phone conversation. At the time, the episodes remained unexplained.

Decades later, when Molly was 39 and 35 weeks pregnant with her third child, she experienced another frightening episode. Her husband, James, noticed that she was struggling to speak and respond normally, prompting him to call emergency services.

Molly was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where she was admitted to the neurological intensive care unit. During a 16-day hospital stay, she suffered two additional strokes. Doctors also decided to deliver her baby girl, Rose, early by cesarean section.

The medical crisis eventually led to a diagnosis of Moyamoya disease, a rare condition in which arteries supplying blood to the brain become narrowed or blocked. The condition can reduce blood flow to the brain and increase the risk of strokes, seizures and bleeding.

Molly said the diagnosis helped make sense of symptoms she had experienced years earlier but had never fully understood. She also credited her husband’s response with helping her receive urgent medical attention.

Today, Molly has made a significant recovery. She continues to experience some loss of sensation in her right leg and short-term memory difficulties, but she has no motor deficits and has returned to work. Her daughter, Rose, is also healthy.

Now, Molly hopes that sharing her experience will encourage others to seek medical advice when symptoms remain unexplained. Her story highlights how persistent symptoms can sometimes point to an underlying condition that may otherwise go undetected for years.

Source: PEOPLE