Medical Emergency on Christmas Eve for Illinois Family

Christmas Eve is typically a time for celebration, but for a family in Illinois this past year, it turned into a serious medical crisis.

After partaking in holiday traditions, the Patton family was gathered around the dinner table when six-year-old Preston Patton unexpectedly collapsed.

Shawn Patton, Preston’s father, noted, “He just fell out of his chair and was limp. I didn’t think it was a stroke, but I knew something was off.”

Quickly, Patton dialed 911, and first responders transported Preston to OSF Healthcare.

Once at the hospital, a group of emergency doctors and pediatric specialists assessed his condition. A brain scan revealed Preston had a blood clot, and his heart function had plummeted to 10%.

This condition, known as cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), is quite rare in children, affecting roughly one or two in every 100,000 children and teenagers, according to statistics.

“He had total paralysis on the left side of his body,” explained Dr. Sourabh Lahoti, a neurologist at OSF Healthcare. “Movement was impossible, and he had lost vision on the left side as well. His ability to move his eyes to the left was gone.”

The brain scan indicated that the clot was obstructing blood flow to the right side of Preston’s brain.

“We had to remove that clot, otherwise, he could face a very large stroke,” Dr. Rahoti stated. “This could not only mean potential paralysis for life but could also be fatal.”

Using a procedure called thrombectomy, a thin catheter was inserted into the blood vessel to extract the clot.

Preston is now among a handful of children worldwide to have undergone this life-saving intervention.

When the doctors began the procedure, the clot had already moved into smaller vessels, complicating removal.

“The larger the clot, the higher the likelihood it can lead into smaller vessels in the brain, increasing the risk of extraction,” noted Dr. Rahoti. “We decided to take the risk to prevent lifelong disability.”

As soon as the clot was removed, there was a remarkable turnaround in Preston’s condition. Dr. Lahoti described the recovery as “really magical,” highlighting how he arrived with total paralysis.

Following the procedure, as anesthesia wore off, Preston regained the ability to move his left arm and legs.

Prior to the availability of thrombectomy therapy, patients often faced a future of permanent paralysis and significant lifestyle changes, Dr. Rahoti mentioned.

Doctors now believe Preston’s stroke was likely a “rare complication” stemming from a recent flu infection.

“There was a cross-reaction in his immune system due to the flu,” Dr. Rahoti explained. “His immune system attacked the flu virus but also affected his kidneys and heart.”

“So his heart’s pumping action weakened, leading to the formation of a blood clot that eventually traveled to his brain,” added Shawn Patton, who reflected on how his late wife had suffered from a pulmonary embolism.

After spending a few weeks in the hospital, Preston is on the mend and returning to activities he enjoys.

“He goes to occupational therapy once a week, and physical therapy once a month. He’s really connecting with them,” Shawn noted.

Preston shared, “My legs are better now.” His father encouraged him, saying, “Yes, your feet and hands will improve too.”

While Preston hasn’t returned to playing baseball yet, he has started riding his bike again.

Shawn expressed, “It’s challenging to hold the handlebars with weak hands, but we’ve been working hard on that.”

Inspired by his experience and recovery, Preston now aspires to be a nurse, saying, “Because the nurses took such great care of me.”