Leia

On January 30th Leia was taken to the ER after suffering from severe migraines and neck pain. A cat scan showed she had a brain bleed and she was immediately transported to Kaiser's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Oakland, Ca. Leia was given a diagnosis of an AVM (arteriovenous malformation of the brain). AVM's are simply a tangle of arteries and ventricles that pose risks of bleeding as hers did. Leia's AVM is located near the center of her brain near the hypothalamus. Thankfully the bleeding stopped, but a large amount of fluid accumulated and could not properly drain into her spine. Hence the neck pain. A spinal tap was performed to release the fluid unsuccessfully at which point she underwent emergency surgery to place a drain in her brain to relieve the pressure. The surgery was successful and her pain subsided somewhat and she is now stabilized! AVM's unfortunately require intervention as they cannot heal on their own. The only two options are surgical removal or radiation (gamma knife surgery). Both pose great risk and the course of action will be chosen after an angiogram in the upcoming weeks. If you know Leia you know how strong she is! She has a big fight coming up ahead! Elizabeth and Rickey could greatly appreciate any help as the trips to and from Oakland are very costly.