Jackie Miller James speaks for first time after suffering brain aneurysm while pregnant
Ten months after influencer Jackie Miller James was hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm one week before her due date, she is speaking out for the first time.
“What a year it’s been for me and my family,” Jackie Miller James wrote on Instagram. “Last May, I was given a 50/50 chance of making it through the night… and now I’m here writing you.”
Alongside her statement, Jackie shared a video of herself as well. It’s the first time her thousands of followers got to see her since undergoing nearly a year-long recovery journey.
“It’s been a tough year,” Jackie said. “But ready to go home after 10-months of recovery.”
As Jackie continued in her statement, she explained what happened the week before they were expecting to meet their first child. “One week from the due date of our first child, my husband, Austin, found me collapsed in our living room. I had suffered an aneurysm rupture in my brain.”
“After a month in the ICU here in Orange County, we traveled from hospital to hospital pursuing continued therapies that would help me learn to live again,” Jackie explained. “I still struggle with aphasia, which impacts my speech, and have limited use of my right arm and leg.”
Yet, despite the uphill battle she continues to face, Jackie reassured her followers that she is “more motivated than ever to keep putting in the work. I look forward to sharing more about my unique journey in the hopes that it helps others going through trauma.”
Hope, Jackie told her fans, “there is hope!”
Jackie then shared a brief update on her 10-month-old daughter Knoxly who is seemingly thriving. “While recovery has had some incredibly tough moments, having my 10-month old daughter Knoxly by my side has been my source of motivation.”
“The journey to reclaim my life is ongoing but I’m grateful for this community and the opportunity to share my story with you. I hope to offer empathy, provide hope, and bring awareness to the risks women face in pregnancy. More to come, but for now, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all!”
As it was reported back in June 2023, Jackie was 35 years old and 39 weeks pregnant when she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm at home. After her husband found her lying unresponsive on the floor, she was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where they discovered severe brain bleeding.
When she arrived at the emergency room, doctors wasted no time in getting her into the operation room for two procedures at the same time – brain surgery in hopes of saving the mother and an emergency C-section in hopes of saving the child. They both survived.
The family created a GoFundMe account to help cover the cost of her treatment and lifelong recovery once she was awake.
“We are optimistic she can beat the odds by surrounding her with the right specialists and methods of therapy. While the road will be long, we are committed to bringing Jackie home to her daughter and husband,” Jackie’s sisters, Natalie and Nicelle, wrote in the GoFundMe.