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Social media influencer Jackie Miller James has woken up from a medically induced coma to be “reunited” with her newborn child.

Ms James underwent an emergency C-section to deliver her baby and brain surgery in May, after suffering a brain aneurysm rupture, which led to severe bleeding and injury.

One week before her due date, Ms James was found by her husband, Austin.

She was immediately taken to hospital, put in a coma and went on to have at least five operations on her brain.

After the C-section, her newborn baby girl remained in hospital in a neonatal intensive care unit for 12 days due to the traumatic nature of her birth.

Nearly one month after the last update on Ms James, her family shared a statement on Instagram on Sunday which said that she was “performing above expectations” after waking up from the coma.

It meant she could be “reunited” with her baby girl and meet her properly for the first time.

‘Long road to recovery’

The statement on Instagram said: “We are beyond thrilled to share that your loving prayers for Jackie have been working!

“Jackie is awake and was recently transferred to one of the best neurological rehabilitation hospitals in the country.

“The doctors have been pleased upon her latest tests, numbers and evaluations, noting that Jackie is performing above expectations at this stage of her recovery and is progressing more with every passing day.”

The statement also said that Ms James still has a “long road to recovery” and asked her fans to continue the “prayers, love, and support”.

The family have said that the social media influencer has now “reunited” with her baby and “spends a great deal of each day with her entire family while in the hospital”.

A GoFundMe page set up by the family hopes to raise $450,000 (£355,131) to “provide a way for family and friends to help Jackie secure the highest level of care”.

“We are currently navigating rehabilitation needs, medical bills, and insurance claims. The resources raised from the GoFundMe will allow us to continue to give Jackie the very best care and every chance at recovery,” the family added.

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The funds that remain unused will be donated to families in similar situations or to charities, a description on the GoFundMe page says.

So far, more than $330,000 has been donated to the family, along with hopeful messages from supporters.

One user wrote: “As a survivor myself and with a daughter Jackie’s age, I am sending positive thoughts to your entire family.

“Online emotional support from others and information is available at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, which helped me incredibly during a very difficult time.”

Another said: “Sending prayers for Jackie’s complete recovery, prayers for the baby, husband and family and friends. Prayers for wisdom for the medical staff treating them. God bless.”

Ms James is a beauty and lifestyle influencer and now has more than 80,000 followers on Instagram.

She is also known for sharing her pregnancy journey on her page, as well as pictures from her wedding and beauty tips.

What is an aneurysm?

According to the NHS, a brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by weakness in the blood vessel wall.

As blood passes through this weakened blood vessel, the blood pressure can then cause a small area to bulge outwards like a balloon.

The two most common places aneurysms can develop are:

• The brain

• The artery that transports blood away from the heart to the rest of the body

Symptoms of a burst aneurysm include:

• A sudden headache – this can often be a blinding pain which the NHS has described as a “thunderclap headache”.

• A stiff neck

• Nausea and vomiting

• Intense pain when looking at light

The risk factors identified for the development of an aneurysm include smoking, high blood pressure and a family history of brain aneurysms.

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

The rapper Ghetts has been charged after a man was killed in a hit-and-run in northeast London.

The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Ilford last Saturday, the Met Police said.

The 41-year-old appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday – the same day the man died in hospital.

The indictment is expected to change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.

Ghetts was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

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Ghetts is a grime rapper who played at Glastonbury last year and has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Skepta.

He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Last year, he received the Mobo Pioneer Award for his significant contribution to British black culture.

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‘People want you to stay in your lane’: Reese Witherspoon on her ‘deeply personal’ decision to write a novel

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'People want you to stay in your lane': Reese Witherspoon on her 'deeply personal' decision to write a novel

It is “pretty surreal”, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon admits, finding herself at the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.

When I meet the actress alongside her co-writer, best-selling author Harlan Coben, overnight the pair have learned that their thriller is now at number one.

He jokes: “I was texting her last night and saying you’ll now have to call yourself number one bestselling novelist, forget about Oscar winner!”

Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye
Image:
Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye

As one of the most successful authors in the world, Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground.

Not content with running a hugely successful production company responsible for a string of hits, as well as one of the most successful book clubs in the world, she explains she felt compelled to give writing a try.

“People want you to stay in your lane… as a creative person I think it’s impossible to just choose one kind of life.

“Creativity is infinite and who I was as a creative person when I was 20 is very different from the person I am now at 49.”

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Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller about a talented surgeon who finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy, is the result of Witherspoon daring to put her head above the parapet.

Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try
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Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try

Coben admits he was “a little wary” at first.

“I don’t co-write novels but when she made the pitch and started talking about it, I was like ‘dang that’s good, we can do something with that’.”

While countless celebrities work with ghostwriters, Coben says: “I said to her from day one ‘it’s only going to be you and me in here… no third person in here, I don’t do that’. So every word you [read] comes from Reese and me.”

Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground
Image:
Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground

Witherspoon explains: “He was like ‘if we’re going to do this, it’s going to have to be at a really high level because people going to expect a lot, so our bar was really high.”

“I said to her, in the beginning, novels are like a sausage,” Coben laughs. “You might like the final taste, but you don’t want to see how it was made and Reese got to see the full sausage getting made here.”

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When it came to writing, Coben says they “fell into a rhythm right away”, working together in three-hour stints, “back and forth with a yellow legal pad – what about this? What about that?”

Coben says they 'fell into a rhythm right away'
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Coben says they ‘fell into a rhythm right away’

Witherspoon says it “feels really deeply personal” to have their work now in print.

“Usually, as an actor, I walk into other people’s worlds and it’s already set up… but this was creating the whole world with Harlan and just from beginning to end feels very personal.”

While the story seems an obvious fit for being adapted to the screen, perhaps with a certain blonde actress in the leading role, Coben says that was never their intention.

“The biggest, biggest mistake novelists make when you write a book is to say ‘this would make a really great movie’. A book is a book, a movie is a movie, and we both focused on wanting this to be just a great reading experience.”

Given that their collaboration is already selling in big numbers, will the pair team up again to write a second?

Witherspoon says: “Let’s just see what people think of this one first.”

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Kim Kardashian diagnosed with brain aneurysm

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Kim Kardashian diagnosed with brain aneurysm

Kim Kardashian has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.

  • Footage from the latest season of The Kardashians shows the reality TV star going for an imaging scan.

The 45-year-old appears to suggest her small aneurysm may have stemmed from stress.

Brain aneurysms are relatively common, with data suggesting they affect about one in every 50 people.

In many cases, patients may be unaware that they have one – as they tend to cause few symptoms when unruptured.

Brain aneurysms are common but often go undiagnosed. iStock file pic
Image:
Brain aneurysms are common but often go undiagnosed. iStock file pic

Should an unruptured aneurysm grow to a larger size, it can cause headaches, balance problems and speech issues.

Those that burst are extremely dangerous and can prove fatal in some circumstances.

While aneurysms can emerge throughout the body, they are most typically found in the aorta, which carries blood out of the heart.

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Research suggests brain aneurysms are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 – with women disproportionately affected.

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Associate professor of neurology Dr Laura Stein told Sky’s US partner NBC News: ” The most well-described risk factors include a predisposition [family history of aneurysm], high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and inflammation.”

She went on to explain that most fatal ruptured aneurysms are in the brain, killing about one in three patients.

“When it’s a blood vessel that’s in the head and it bleeds, there’s a much higher risk of having a very bad problem just because the brain is enclosed in a fixed space,” Dr Stein added.

Low-risk aneurysms are monitored by doctors for growth or abnormalities, and there are a series of potential treatment options for those considered dangerous.

Elsewhere in The Kardashians clip, Kim admitted that her ex-husband Kanye West will be in her life “no matter what” because of the four kids they share together.

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