Jake Bartelovi (32) has changed the life of an insidious disease that doctors initially failed to identify. Found that suffers a rare genetic disease called molass that can cause stroke, seizures and various other serious symptoms. , the healthcare professionals they only gave a five percent chance of survival.
Doctors couldn’t find out what’s going on with him
Jake one evening of 5 months after the wedding, in 2019, started to complain about a severe headache. Nevertheless, he went to bed and hoped it would pass by morning. But in early October, his wife Cami woken up in the middle of the night and found that the young man had a seizure right next to her. “I immediately called an ambulance. It was unreal, it looked as if his life was losing,” Cami said.
When Jake came to the hospital, The doctors were completely helpless. “He had not only a seizure, but also a swelling on the brain. It all scared everyone,” she added. Healthcare professionals initially suspected a serious viral or bacterial infection and have performed urgent tests for various types of diseases, from meningitis to West Nenial virus. “They told me they control all kinds of infections but everything was negative. They couldn’t figure it out and Jake was getting worse“she said frightened by Cami.
As doctors They had no exact answers and Jake’s condition deteriorated rapidly, they decided to prepare his wife for the worst. “Then they told me that he had only a five percent chance of survival. They assumed it had to be a virus that they could not identify. I tried to understand that My husband who was healthy a few hours ago may not survive the night“she explained.
In spite of the menacing prognosis, Jake He was able to recover and he was released from the hospital in two weeks. Although doctors have carried out a number of examinations, could not explain what happened to him. “We went home without a diagnosis, only with a huge sense of relief,” Cami said.
During the stay in the hospital One of the healthcare professionals mentioned Molas syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that usually occurs in childhood. Jake, however, did not match the disease profile, and therefore doctors did not consider it a possible cause of his condition. Spouses, despite that decided at the end of 2019 to undergo genetic tests. At that time, they found that Jake had a positive test for Melas.
Goes o an incurable disease that affects mitochondria, organely responsible for energy production in cells. Experts They warn that it can cause symptoms similar to stroke, seizure, memory loss, dementia, muscle weakness or hearing loss.
Diagnosis of spouses forced them to change their plans for the next years. Jake has left the work of a lawyer and started to follow a strict diet plan to avoid further seizures. Despite the fact that the young man ended up in the hospital in the coming months, he never gave up. In 2021 returned to the university and won a master’s degree in the field of pedagogy. Jake with his wife Later he moved to Arizona where he started working as a teacher.
For the first time since making a diagnosis The spouses thought the situation was improving. “We were so proud of ourselves. We felt we were building something in common again,” Cami recalls. Just a week after moving to a new house, however Jake suffered a serious stroke that disrupted his speech. He had to undergo two years of intense convalescence and rehabilitation to return to him.
At the moment Jake again works as a lawyer and, along with Cami, talks about his experience in Tictoku videos to raise awareness of Molas syndrome. “If your partner has this medical condition, you will quickly find that real love is more than romance. Never go to sleep angry. Be grateful even in demanding days because you never know what comes next time“Cami concluded.
