Comatose Woman Showing Improvement After Giving Birth In SF; Baby Gets Clean Bill Of Health
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A baby born in San Francisco a week ago to a Fresno woman in a coma is getting a clean bill of health, while her mother is at times briefly regaining consciousness and showing signs of improvement, according to the woman's husband.
Melissa Carleton gave birth to her son West by Caesarian section at UC San Francisco while she was in a coma since having surgery for a brain tumor in March.
Husband Brian Lande told reporters his son is gaining weight after having lost some following his birth. Lande previously said his wife has been able to nurse the baby with some assistance.
On Thursday, Lande said West visited his mother in the hospital and he was able to help support his wife's arms to the baby can lay on her.
Carlton had "some wakefulness" Thursday morning, Lande said, noting she is making steady improvements, but doctors are still working on getting her to communicate. "We know she can take information in and sometimes push it out but they don't know exactly where the problems are," he said.
Lande said while taking care of West is "awesome" and unsurprisingly a lot of work, his wife currently needs to have as much care as his newborn.
"It's lot to juggle taking care of two people who need that kind of intensive attention and care and love, and I'm very, very happy to be that guy that gets to give them that love," said Lande." They deserve it."
Lande said was exhausted but his grandparents, great-grandparents other relatives are all available to help him out.
He said it was difficult not being able to share the experience of bringing home a newborn with his wife. "I had always assumed … we'd be doing all these things with West together with Melissa … it's very hard not having her here and sharing these moments with her."
Carleton is close to getting discharged to long-term acute care, said Lande. Doctors tell him they believe she is on the cusp of emerging from her comatose state, but they are not able to say if her incremental improvements will continue or whether she will make a full recovery.
