A California influencer, who is nine months pregnant, is in a medically induced coma after suffering a brain aneurysm one week before she was expected to give birth.
Jackie Miller James, 35, a social media beauty influencer was at home when she experienced an aneurysm rupture that led to severe brain bleeding, according to a GoFundMe, organized by family.
Miller James’ husband, Austin, found the expectant mother and rushed her over to the ICU where she underwent simultaneous emergency C-section and brain surgeries.
“If Jackie and the baby arrived a few minutes later at the hospital, we likely would have lost both of them. James’ sisters, Natalie and Nicelle, said on the fundraising site. “But instead, Jackie is continuing to fight for her life each day and we are optimistic she can beat the odds by surrounding her with the right specialists and methods of therapy.”
Miller James’ newborn daughter was kept in the NICU for 12 days following the “traumatic events of her birth,” before finally meeting her mother, who remained in a coma.
The new mother remains in the medically induced coma more than 12 days after the aneurysm and has undergone five separate brain surgeries, she is expected to remain in the hospital for months.
Austin James has been learning how to be a parent to a newborn while sticking by his wife’s side in the hospital.
“Jackie’s husband and family have not left her side since the incident,” Miller James’ sisters said. “They are navigating taking care of a newborn in the ICU while fighting to keep Jackie alive.”
“While the road will be long, we are committed to bringing Jackie home to her daughter and husband,” her sisters continued.
Miller James has been sharing her pregnancy journey with her over 27,000 followers on Instagram, giving frequent updates on her daily routines, skin care and symptoms.
In a video posted on May 18, Miller James shared the symptoms she developed while being 39 weeks pregnant which included snoring from an increase in pressure, swollen ankles and insomnia.
“A brain aneurysm is a weak or thin spot on an artery in the brain that balloons or bulges out and fills with blood. The bulging aneurysm can put pressure on the nerves or brain tissue,” according to the National Institutes of Health. “It may also burst or rupture, spilling blood into the surrounding tissue. A ruptured aneurysm can cause serious health problems such as hemorrhagic stroke, brain damage, coma, and even death.”
Before becoming a full-time influencer, Miller James worked for a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills for six years, after she spent five living in New York as a backup dancer for all different kinds of artists.
“My dream was to tour with Janet Jackson, however, I ended up getting a terrible back injury that ended my dance career when I was about 25,” Miller James told Modeliste Magazine in April 2022.
She became an influencer because she “loved the world of cosmetics, and felt like no one on social media wanted to talk about things like Botox, Laser, and/or filler.”
Miller James married her husband in April 2022 in Fairfield, California, in what the couple called “A little bit of Cali and A little bit of Country,” according to a digital wedding invite.
Miller James’ sisters said they created the GoFundMe, which has gotten nearly $96,000 in two days as of Friday morning, so that she could receive the highest medical care and cover the expensive medical costs insurance wouldn’t cover along with modifications to the home and the various therapies expected.
“These funds will help Jackie’s long-term recovery and quality of life as a new mother. Any funds that remain unused will be donated to similar families in need or related charities,” the family added.
The GoFundMe goal was set to $250,000