Sophie’s story: Regaining my life back after venous malformation diagnosis

Sophie’s story: Regaining my life back after venous malformation diagnosis

In 2016, Rachel and Scott Hewitt’s third child, who they describe as “spunky,” made her appearance much in the same way she lives her life – fast and fun. Their daughter, Sophie, was beautiful and perfect. But, within minutes of her birth, they noticed a small reddish, purple mark on her cheek. 

It continued to darken at an alarming rate. Rachel took pictures and sent them to Sophie’s dermatologist, who presented her case to a panel of doctors. After multiple appointments, they said the veining was too small to do anything. The Hewitts waited four months to be called in for a follow-up visit with no results.

Rachel joined a Birthmark Support Group on Facebook run by the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation and showed Sophie’s picture timeline to every doctor she met. She researched clinics specializing in venous malformations and found the amazing team at Texas Children’s Hospital. 

“The doctors greeted us in the hallway and seemed familiar with Sophie and her case history. Within 45 minutes, we met with a pediatric dermatologist and an interventional radiologist. We met Dr. Tara Rosenberg, surgical director of the Vascular Anomalies Center, who examined Sophie. Minutes after examining her, she diagnosed Sophie with a venous malformation and laid out a treatment plan for her. 

“The results of Sophie’s surgeries are wonderful and very encouraging for limiting the severity of Sophie’s future surgeries as an adult,” Rachel said. “We are very grateful we found Dr. Rosenberg and the Vascular Anomalies Center at Texas Children’s. Sophie’s condition is rare considering the location and sizing of her veining, but we know our daughter is being treated by the best medical team available.”

Author

Rachel Hewitt