A mother from Victoria is urging parents to trust their instincts after her eight-year-old son, Jace Noakes, nearly lost his life during a sudden and unexpected medical emergency. On the morning of August 15, Jace was his “usual, happy self,” but within 20 minutes, he collapsed and became “unresponsive,” sending his family into a whirlwind ordeal that turned their lives “upside down.”
Jace’s mother, Kylee Noakes, immediately called emergency services, and her quick thinking may have saved his life. Jace was rushed to Ballarat Base Hospital, where doctors placed him in a medically-induced coma. A CT scan revealed a serious bleed in his brain, which prompted an urgent transfer to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
At the hospital, Jace was taken directly to the operating room for an emergency late-night surgery. Surgeons inserted an external ventricular drain (EVD) to relieve pressure on his brain. After the procedure, an MRI revealed that Jace had suffered from an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare condition in which blood vessels in the brain form abnormally, creating a twisted, enlarged cluster. This cluster had burst, leading to the life-threatening bleed in his cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for regulating muscle movement and balance.
Jace’s AVM was likely a condition he had since birth, but without any prior warning signs, it went unnoticed until it caused a catastrophic bleed. Following the initial surgery, Jace spent a week “sedated and ventilated” to allow his brain to heal, while his family anxiously waited for positive news. Surgeons then performed another operation to remove the clot and damaged blood vessels.
Kylee expressed her relief and gratitude to 7NEWS, saying, “We could have lost him. If surgeons didn’t operate when they did, he would have died.” Jace is now in the process of recovery, as he learns to walk, talk, and eat again. He remains in the hospital but is “doing really well” according to his mother, who is hopeful that Jace will return home within the next month.
To support the family through Jace’s long recovery and rehabilitation, a GoFundMe page has been set up. In her message to other parents, Kylee emphasized the importance of trusting your instincts, particularly when it comes to your children’s health. “If I had let him go to bed, we would have lost him that night,” she said, underscoring how quickly the situation could have turned fatal.