Jessica Kent-Hazledine, 33, feared she would never see her newborn son grow up after losing her vision two weeks after giving birth – but plasma donation treatment restored her sight
A woman who lost her sight after giving birth to her first child has had her vision restored thanks to a plasma donation.
Jessica Kent-Hazledine said she feared “the worst” when her eyesight began deteriorating last April, but a year later her vision is “so much better”.
The 33-year-old dentist from Cornwall woke up a fortnight after having her son with barely any vision in her left eye, which she initially attributed to exhaustion. However, she soon lost sight in her right eye as well, leaving her “terrified” that she would never watch her baby grow up.
“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 wouldn’t be able to see how his face changed or when he took his first steps or had his first day at school. 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 attempting other treatments, doctors arranged a plasma exchange for Ms Kent-Hazledine, which was performed by a new service operated by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in the South West.
During the procedure, a patient’s plasma – the liquid part of blood that transports blood cells, nutrients and hormones throughout the body – is extracted from the bloodstream and substituted with donor plasma.
This prevented the antibodies in Ms Kent-Hazledine’s blood from attacking and harming the protective coating around the nerve fibres in her eyes.
Ms Kent-Hazledine described the treatment as “so simple”. She underwent five exchanges at Royal Cornwall Hospital but said improvements had begun by the third session.
Ms Kent-Hazledine can now see clearly from her right eye and has approximately 75% vision in her left. “By the fifth [exchange], I felt pretty much back to myself, it felt like magic,” she added.
“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.”
The plasma exchange was carried out by NHSBT’s therapeutic apheresis services (TAS), which is collaborating with four hospitals across the region.
Ms Kent-Hazledine became the first person in Cornwall to access the service. She said: “I feel so lucky that it was arriving in the area just as I needed it – it was amazing and I’m glad that other people will get to benefit, too.”
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 cared for 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.
“It makes us so happy to be able to help patients like Jessica but we couldn’t do what we do without the generosity of blood and plasma donors, and I’d like to encourage everybody who is able to register to donate.”
A spokesperson for NHS England’s specialised commissioning team in the South West also praised the introduction of TAS in the region.
“Plasma exchange is not typically commissioned as a standalone service by NHS England, as it often sits within broader treatment pathways,” they said.
“However, we knew there was a gap in provision of this service in the peninsula and, following a procurement process, we commissioned NHS Blood and Transplant to fulfil this need.”
