The Decibel To save this baby, doctors had to kill part of her brain
Aug 29, 2025
Jennifer Yang, a Health Science reporter for The Globe, and Muzna Nafees, mother of baby Maryam Fatima, share an incredible survival story. Maryam was born with hemimegalencephaly, facing life-threatening seizures. The discussion dives into the groundbreaking surgical procedure performed at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the emotional and ethical dilemmas faced by her family, and the innovative neurointervention techniques employed to save her life. Muzna's heartfelt reflections on the journey add a deeply personal touch to this medical miracle.
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Early Video Shows Continuous Seizures
- Miriam was twitching rhythmically and vacant in a home video at about a month old, indicating seizures.
- Jennifer Yang reports those seizures used to happen up to hundreds of times daily in her first weeks.
One Hemisphere Can Cause Devastating Seizures
- Hemimegalencephaly causes one brain hemisphere to be abnormally large and disorganized.
- That malformed side generates abnormal electrical discharges causing uncontrollable seizures.
Seizures Hijacked Feeding And Breathing
- Within days of diagnosis Miriam's seizures prevented feeding, breathing and normal energy use in her tiny body.
- Staff described her muscles contracting constantly and seizures hijacking her brain's normal functions.