A Portuguese baby could represent one of the rarest cases in the world in medicine. Laura was born on May 16, 2025, at Hospital de São João, the result of a story marked by persistence, science and an enormous desire to be a mother. The case involves a woman diagnosed with early Parkinson’s disease and is already being analyzed by the international scientific community.
Laura’s mother, Daniela, was diagnosed with the disease at age 24. Despite the difficulties and uncertainties associated with the pathology, she maintained her dream of starting a family with her husband. The path proved to be long and full of obstacles. For eight years, the couple faced several failed in vitro fertilization attempts, forced breaks and medication interruptions that left Daniela almost unable to cope with everyday life.
The major clinical challenge was related to the treatment needed to control Parkinson’s. The medication could make pregnancy difficult and stopping it would worsen the symptoms of the disease. Daniela had also implanted a Deep Brain Stimulation device, known in Portuguese as deep brain stimulation, technology used to help control the symptoms of the disease.
After three unsuccessful fertilizations and several cryopreserved embryos, the couple even considered giving up. The room designed for a son ended up being transformed into a closet, in an attempt to accept the possibility of never realizing this dream.
However, when the works were finished, an unexpected call came from the hospital. The medical team wanted to know if Daniela would be willing to try the fertilization process again. Despite the fears accumulated over the years, they decided to move forward once again.
This time, the approach was different and considered risky: Daniela continued her Parkinson’s medication and trusted the technology of the device she had already implanted. The decision proved decisive. On September 22, 2024, the pregnancy test came back positive.
The pregnancy went relatively smoothly, contrary to many of the medical team’s initial fears. The main question was understanding how the body would react during pregnancy with the deep brain stimulation device, taking into account hormonal changes, increased blood volume and the physical changes caused by pregnancy.
On May 16, 2025, Laura was born healthy at 11:59 am. The birth actually took place on a day marked by an anesthetists’ strike, but nothing prevented the birth that symbolized years of struggle and hope.
The story became known after being shared by writer Pedro Chagas Freitas on social media, where he highlighted that this is an example that “not even Parkinson stops love”. The story moved thousands of people.
According to doctors, Laura could be the first baby in Portugal born under these circumstances and possibly only the fourth documented case in the world of a successful pregnancy in a woman with early Parkinson’s with active deep brain stimulation and without interruption of medication.
The case was also turned into a scientific study, published under the title “Deep Brain Stimulation and Pregnancy: A Case Report”. The research aims to help better understand how this type of technology can coexist with pregnancy and open doors so that other women with neurological diseases can, in the future, realize their dream of motherhood.
Laura’s story thus became not only a symbol of family overcoming, but also a medical milestone that could influence new approaches in the treatment and monitoring of women with Parkinson’s of childbearing age.
