When Jade DeLucia caught the flu in December, she ended up spending Christmas fighting for her life in the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
The 4-year-old HAD suffered from brain dysfunction called encephalopathy, CNN reports, which is a flu complication that can sometimes occur in children under 5 years old and can be fatal, according to the CDC. She was rushed to the hospital when she was unresponsive. She suffered from seizures there, too, and then, suddenly, lost her eyesight.
Now, just three months later, Jade’s brain has healed enough that her sight has been restored, ABC reports.
Jade was lucky to escape with her life that fateful night. And when she woke up after a week of unconsciousness, doctor’s discovered her brain had been damaged so severely that it was no longer able to process sight, CNN reports.
Initial MRI scans of Jade’s brain indicated the damage was so severe she may never fully recover, too, USA Today reports.
But doctors told Jade’s mother, Amanda Phillips, that as Jade healed, it was possible she would regain some of her sight in the next six months. But her brain wouldn’t recover much more, according to Yahoo! News.
Things changed as the family began to notice Jade’s eyesight had returned. Her family first suspected she had regained her sight when they noticed her making her way around the house without touching walls. She even walks to the bathroom now, according to CNN.
And Jade’s family asked her where her uncle was, and she walked right to him, CNN reports.
“From there, it was almost an instant thing,” Jade’s mother, Amanda Phillips, told CNN. “She’s doing really good.”
Doctors are still testing her to see the extent of the damage to her sight. Dr. Theresa Czech at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital told KCRG-TV that Jade is doing well in recovery, too.
“She’s such a bright, cheerful girl who’s full of love,” Czech said.
Phillips’ told CNN that Jade is currently “doing awesome” and they are excited to see how she continues to progress.
“We’re excited, no matter what,” Phillips said.