A little girl who was registered blind as a baby has astonished doctors after regaining her sight and ‘curing herself’ of a usually life-long brain condition.
Evie-Mae Geurts, now seven, who lives in Bristol with mum Amy, 28, was registered blind at just a few months old and was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at eight months.
The pressure inside her head was 32 times the normal level, and doctors warned while they could help relieve the pain and build up, the damage to her brain was done.
Doctors told Evie’s mum Amy, 28, the continued pressure meant her sight was gone forever, and she’d likely never learn to walk and talk.
Against all the odds, not only did Evie’s sight return when she was a toddler – she also learned to walk and talk and her hydrocephalus inexplicably disappeared last year.
Evie-Mae Geurts is now seven years old. She lives with her mum Amy (28), in Bristol. Evie was born blind and diagnosed with hydrocephalus when she was eight months. The brain condition was so severe that her vision would be lost forever and it meant she wouldn’t learn how to walk or talk.
Evie saw her eyes again as a toddler, and she learned how to walk and speak. Evie’s hydrocephalus disappeared inexplicably last year.
Amy is a full time mum and said, “Evie’s phenomenal. We are so proud of her. Due to a delayed diagnosis, the doctors were not sure what was going to happen.
They didn’t even know she would ever see, walk or speak. She’s now independent, speaking, walking, and learning faster than her peers.
“They don’t get it” – She was delayed all over the world and is now very proactive. She is a brave, amazing little girl.
Amy brought Evie first to Bristol Children’s Hospital in 2014 after she had a terrible cold that left her very red.
After Evie’s diagnosis with hydrocephalus – the build up of fluid in the ventricles deep within the brain – she had a series of brain operations – including shunts fitted and needles prodded through her skull
Evie is seen in the hospital after she disappeared from her lifelong illness.
Evie was diagnosed with headaches in January 2021 by medics. She no longer required a shunt, which was placed into her brain to drain fluid.
Doctors shined a torch into her eyes, finding that there were no visual responses. They declared her blind.
Evie was still experiencing swelling in her head, so Amy brought Evie to the doctor several times to check for hydrocephalus.
“I was aware of hydrocephalus, my brother is affected, so I assumed that it might explain why she has no vision. But, I was incorrect because she smiled a lot.
«Even though she was pulling out her hair, I was informed that hydrocephalus would make it worse for her.
Amy reached out to her brother, a neurosurgeon, for assistance. Evie was diagnosed at age eight months.
Evie Mae (7 years old) is the top child in class. Amy, her mum is shown with Evie-Mae
Evie, seven-years old, is an amazing girl who lives in Bristol and has excellent vision.
Doctors are still amazed that she is still having eye exams every six months in order to track her progress.
Amy was diagnosed in April 2015. She said that she returned to Bristol Children’s Hospital with this diagnosis and refused to go home until Evie had been seen.
She claims she waited ten hours in A&E before Evie was checked and they were finally told that her soft spot was full of fluid.
The next day, she had surgery.
Amy shared the following: “When Amy left theatre, she said that her doctor advised her to be thankful she brought her in at this time. She had very high pressure in her brain.
It’s so horrible. It should be zero. On a bad migraine, it will be five. Evie’s measured at 32.
She could have even died.
They said that it was possible she wouldn’t be able talk or walk because of the delay in diagnosis. “I was devastated.”
Evie received a catheter in her brain which allowed the fluid to be drained into her bladder.
When she returned to her home, the shunts began draining the brain pressure and gradually she started to see clearly.
Amy claimed that Amy was informed this was unusual in a case where a child was not treated for so long.
Evie was just two when she began walking. She learned Makaton and then started speaking.
Amy stated that doctors had admitted Amy because they were unsure what the future would bring. She wasn’t able to walk, talk or see.
“She studied Makaton. Eventually, she learned to speak.
Evie began experiencing headaches in April 2019. Doctors had to go through her skull and insert a needle.
She was under 40 times her normal pressure. Her shunt had been blocked and she received a replacement.
Amy said, “The sound she made when the needle was removed.” ‘I’ll never forget it.’
The headaches came back in January 2021 and people feared the worse.
However, the medics realized that the patients had returned to their doctors because they didn’t need the shunt. The shunt was used for’splitting the ventricles’.
Amy said, “The doctor could not believe it. He believed we would have to go in and out every year because of the blocking shunts. But it turns out she was able to heal herself!”
He said that he hadn’t seen the thing before, and that he didn’t know what to expect from her.
Evie had two shunts in her brain that doctors decided to take out. This is a rare procedure because it increases the chance of Evie suffering a stroke.
Amy, a proud mother-of-two, lives in Bristol, with Martyn Geurts (49), her husband as a quarry worker. Her two children, George and Archie are eight and five respectively.
The surgery was successful, however Evie developed viral meningitis. Evie had to remain in the hospital with antibiotics for four additional days.
Evie is seven years old and has perfect vision.
Although she continues to have eye checks every six-months to check her progress, doctors are amazed at the results.
Proud Amy said, “They don’t believe it.” She had to trim her hair in order to use the device so she calls herself Rapunzel.
“In the salon, she was told she had been brave. She said that Eugene cut Rapunzel’s hair in Tangled to save Rapunzel, and the doctors did my hair.
“Evie is amazing.”