Seizures, a rare diagnosis—and a life-altering choice
Christina Santhouse began suffering severe seizures as a child. By third grade, doctors diagnosed her with Rasmussen’s encephalitis, a rare neurological disorder that can progressively damage one side of the brain, according to reporting cited by People.
Without treatment, physicians warned the condition could become fatal, People reported. At their worst, Santhouse reportedly experienced nearly 150 seizures in a single day.
A 14-hour hemispherectomy at age 8
At 8, Santhouse underwent a hemispherectomy—a 14-hour operation to remove the right half of her brain—in an effort to stop the seizures, per People. Her mother, Lynne Catarro, recalled, “You can live with one kidney, but whoever thought you could live with half a brain?”
People reported that the surgeon was Ben Carson, then a prominent pediatric neurosurgeon. The outlet also noted that he visited the family beforehand and offered reassurance.
According to the same reporting, the procedure addressed the seizures but left Santhouse with loss of motor function on the left side of her body.
School, work, and milestones
By 28, Santhouse had become a Pennsylvania speech pathologist, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years, buying a home, and building a life with her husband, People reported. She obtained a driver’s license at 17 and developed into a competitive bowler, traveling to England and Australia for competitions, according to the account.
Santhouse attended Misericordia University near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and later worked in educational services for Bucks County Schools, per People. “I wasn’t going to let [surgery] stop me,” she said, as quoted by the outlet.
How rare is this path?
Kristi Hall, cofounder of the Hemispherectomy Foundation, told reporters that Santhouse is among a very small number of people who have undergone the procedure and later earned a graduate degree.
People’s report added that Santhouse married Vince Paravecchia, a freelance writer and teaching assistant.
