Majorie Nimis, a British woman, was diagnosed with AFLP in early 2005 when she was 26. She was pregnant for the first time carrying twin boys. She gave birth to the twins, Micah and Sasha at 37 weeks. However, Micah passed away after six days due to severe neonatal encephalopathy. He had fit and never regain consciousness. Sasha, on the other hand, survived with moderate neonatal encephalopathy but suffers from cerebral palsy (a kind of impaired brain development) in which he requires long-term treatment and therapy.
Majorie initially suffered from common pregnancy complications such as nausea, vomiting and dry mouth. However, by the 35th week, her condition worsened. Her fluid intake increased to 10 liters per day and another 3 liters per night, yet she still felt thirsty. She also had dry, itchy skin, heartburn and could not consume 'normal' food as she felt that the food was too dry.
By 36 weeks, Majorie woke up with a half-paralyzed face as the muscles became slack. She was taken to hospital and was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy. She became oblivious to her surroundings, felt lethargic all the time and loss her appetite. She also had been vomiting frequently for days and had abdominal cramps.
By 37 weeks, her water bag broke and she only had 50-50 chance of survivial. Since she was unfit for normal birth, she had cesarean section. However, this was not the end of her sufferings. She was diagnosed with AFLP following a liver function test that showed its cause for her abnormal symptoms such as comatose state, the babies'cardiac arrests, becoming jaundiced and swollen after cesarean. Due to AFLP, she had problems with blood clotting, and was also diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus (water diabetes) that caused her increased fluid intake and constant thirst. And that despite her huge fluid intake, she was dehydrated and put in HDU (High Dependency Unit) for 24 hours.
Both Majorie and Sasha have recovered from the incident and are now healthy. Majorie went on to have 3 more healthy children which fulfill her dream of having 4 children, while Sasha is receiving hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and other treatments for his long term condition.
References:
Marjorie Nimis. 2008. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.acutefattyliverofpregnancy.co.uk/mediapool/76/765711/data/Marjorie_-_BJM_-_April_2008.pdf. [Accessed 17 January 2013].
ITV1. (2007). Interview with ITV on "This Morning" with Phil and Fern. [Online Video]. 15 October. Available from: http://www.acutefattyliverofpregnancy.co.uk/pageID_7446878.html. [Accessed: 17 January 2013].
very detailed and great pictures, it makes the understanding of this disorder more easier :)
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