Jessica Kent-Hazledine lost her vision after the birth of her first child, but her sight was restored following a plasma exchange treatment. The plasma exchange was conducted by a new service operated by NHS Blood and Transplant in the South West, and she can now see clearly from her right eye and has approximately 75% vision in her left. Jessica Kent-Hazledine underwent five plasma exchanges at Royal Cornwall Hospital.
The treatment prevented antibodies in her blood from attacking the protective coating around nerve fibres in her eyes. She was the first person in Cornwall to access the NHSBT therapeutic apheresis service. Emma Warner, a lead nurse who treated Jessica Kent-Hazledine in Plymouth, said the treatment gave patients access to timely and specialist care close to home.
The plasma exchange process involved removing harmful antibodies from her blood and replacing them with donor plasma, which helped restore her vision. This medical intervention is part of a broader effort by NHSBT to expand therapeutic apheresis services across the region, improving accessibility for patients with similar conditions. Jessica's case highlights the effectiveness of this treatment in addressing vision loss linked to autoimmune responses after childbirth.