Welsh dad learning to read and write again after Covid caused him to have a stroke
Geoff Bodman s family were told to prepare for the worst after he was struck down with the virus
Geoff Bodman, from Tremorfa, Cardiff, suffered a stroke following his coronavirus diagnosis in March 2020 (Image: Geoff Bodman)
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Spina bifida: Surgery in the womb saves 32 babies from paralysis
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NHS England said the intricate surgery, which involves a team of up to 30 medics, has been carried out on 32 babies in the womb since January 2020.
Spina bifida prevents the spine and spinal cord developing properly and can lead to paralysis, as well as bowel, bladder and kidney problems.
Teacher Helena Purcell, whose unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, was operated on by the NHS when she was 23 weeks pregnant. She was originally told that her baby would likely be paralysed and incontinent, and would need a shunt in the brain.
I had to learn to read and write again after Covid led to me having a stroke
Geoff Bodman, 57, was fit and healthy before he contracted Covid-19 in March 2020 after a trip to Cheltenham Festival
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When Geoff Bodman woke up for work feeling under the weather in March 2020 he initially put it down to overdoing it at Cheltenham Festival the day before.
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A baby underwent surgery in the womb for spina bifida, and since being born six weeks ago, the child is healthy and developing well, according to a statement from the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for Children in London.
Spina bifida occurs when the so-called neural tube, a hollow structure that begins forming around the third week of pregnancy, does not develop properly and essentially ends up with a hole in it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The neural tube later gives rise to the baby s brain and spinal cord, so a hole in the structure can cause mild to severe nerve damage and result in physical and intellectual disabilities.
Surgery in the womb: I ve done the best for her
BBC
3rd May, 2021 05:45:33 It comes with risks, but then this operation will mean I ve done the best for her. In my mind there was no choice - I just had to do it.
After six failed rounds of IVF, Helena had almost given up hope of having a second baby. But on her seventh attempt she became pregnant and things seemed to progress well until her 20-week scan.
There, Helena was told her daughter had spina bifida. It was a very large lesion on her back and half of her spine was exposed. They said that it was likely she will be paralysed, incontinent and will need a shunt to drain the fluid from her brain later on, Helena recalls.