Emmy Russell, the granddaughter of Loretta Lynn and former “American Idol” contestant, provided an update on her 6-month-old daughter after she was hospitalized this week.
Russell and her husband, Tyler Ward, said their daughter Taylor Ray, was diagnosed with infantile spasms, which is a type of epilepsy that begins in children who are less than a year old, according to the Child Neurology Foundation.
After “doing research,” the couple learned that the spasms impact “0.02% of conditions,” Ward said in an Instagram video posted Tuesday, July 22.
“So very, very rare,” Ward said, adding that when treated early, outcomes can be positive, though it remains “about 50-50 chance.”
Child Neurology Foundation says roughly 20% of children with infantile spasms develop normally.
The couple said they have been encouraged by initial treatment results. Ward reported that doctors administered steroids to help reduce brain activity, and Taylor Ray has not experienced any spasms since beginning treatment.
“She seems like she’s more herself,” Ward noted before his daughter underwent an MRI to help determine next steps.
Russell expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support in the video’s caption, writing, “thank you so much for the continued prayers. We really do believe it’s helping shift towards healing.”
Taylor Ray, who was born earlier this year, was brought to the hospital on Sunday after her parents noticed she was having “small spasms,” the couple shared in an Instagram video.
“We filmed it and rushed to the doctor. They confirmed it could be small seizures and asked us to stay overnight for testing,” they wrote. “It’s a different kind of hard right now. We’re asking for your prayers, we truly believe they could make all the difference tonight.”
Russell added that Taylor was getting an EEG to record her brain wave activity.
“She’s been having these spasms, kind of just like she’s falling almost,” she explained in the video. “They were just really concerned about it and wanted to do some checking how our brain is and everything.”
The couple shared an update on Monday, writing, “Alright y’all – thank you for your prayers for Taylor. She did the spasm thing this morning. She has the EEG, so we will see what her results are and next steps. The neurologist should be coming in very soon. Please continue to pray.”
Russell gave birth to Taylor in February, but immediately experienced some complications that left Russell in the hospital.
“Gave birth Friday morning at 2:30 am and it was a really really tough situation. And she’s still here in the hospital. We almost got discharged. And then this,” Ward said in an Instagram video posted Feb. 3.
Russell then explained that she needed a blood transfusion after losing 1.6 liters of blood after giving birth to their baby.
She updated fans in a Feb. 5 Instagram video after being discharged from the hospital.
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