The worst nightmare of every parent is the freak accidents to which it concerns their children. That nightmare turned into a reality to Jewel a 27-year-old mother in the state of Colorado on September 20, 2024, when her toddler slipped her infant sister. Upon this, however, what started as an episode of sheer panic and guilt, turned into a miracle of a medical procedure.
This is how a loving accident resulted in the finding of a silent killer and why the internet has named a four-year old girl as Hazel Hero.
The Fateful Fall: A Failure of the Toddler.
The accident occurred within a few seconds. Jewel was only within 15 feet of her and was taking laundry, and Hazel was 4 months old and was lying on her floor mat. Her elder sister, Harper, who was 3 years old at that time, tried to take the baby and cuddle her. Harper had raised Hazel about 12 inches in the air and failed to hold her.
Hazel fell. Although it was a slight increase in height, the fear was giant. Jewel and her husband quickly examined the baby, but since they had to be on the safe side, they went to the local emergency room. At the hospital, a frantic Harper was apologizing to the hospital staff more than enough but she did not know that her fumbling attempt at love would save the life of her sister.
The ER Discovery: Beyond the Fall.
However, early tests were reassuring. An MRI scan of the head and full-body X-rays did not indicate the presence of injury due to the fall. Hazel was discharged, but this time fortunes played with him by the care of a alert nurse. As the nurse was performing one final check of the vitals, she observed extremely low oxygen levels.
Three times my fingers had checked with several monitors to make sure that there was no malfunctioning reading before it was too late to deny the truth: Hazel was in respiratory distress. Jewel, in his interview with Newsweek, said that he was very anxious and worried. According to her, the doctors told them that they would have lost Hazel shortly after they had not taken her to a hospital that night.
This took the family to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and a 8 month adventure of hospitalization and repeat pneumonia.
The Shocking Diagnosis: In Utero Stroke.
Doctors were confused over months. Childhood interstitial lung disease was initial. Only in March 2025, with a detailed brain MRI, the shocking reality was discovered: Hazel had been having a stroke in the womb. Jewel had had a trouble-filled pregnancy including an anterior placenta and emergency C-section because Hazel was in a breech position of birth. The prenatal stroke was yet to be detected despite routine wellness checking.
What is a Perinatal Stroke?
Flaka stroke (or perinatal stroke) is a condition where the blood flow to the brain of a baby is interrupted during the 20 th week of pregnancy up to the first month of life.
Symptoms: Some may have seizures, serious lethargy or, as in the case of Hazel, unexplainable respiratory problems.
• Long-range Effects: Can cause cerebral palsy or delay developmental progress.
• Discovery: It is very often overlooked until the child fails to reach developmental milestones.
Hazel Heroes:A Power of Community
. Jewel started recording the trip on TikTok through the account of Hazels heroeshomebase. The video spread rapidly, and one of them has received more than 3.3 million views. The family has created an enormous community on the internet known as Hazel Heroes.
This online village serves as a source of support with Hazel living up to the occasion with physical therapy and special treatment.
The stroke may place physical limitations but with such an early diagnosis, which was bestowed on Hazel through the accidental fall of Harper, he will be able to run through the most crucial phases of brain plasticity.
Also Read:Vanished in the Gulf: 20-Year mystery of Christian Hall and the Gypsy II.
An Accident with a Lifesaving Result that was Loving.
Nowadays, the relationship between Harper and Hazel can be described as one of laughs, cuddles, and mischief. Harper is no longer the toddler who had gone wrong, but the sister who accidentally went off the alarm.
Sharing her story, Jewel wants to make it clear to people that pediatric strokes are a thing that should be taken seriously and that it is best to trust parental intuition when the vital is not looking fine.
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