Savvana Sigmon: Four year reunion follow-up

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - I saw this woman from afar this past Saturday morning at the Pink Cupcake Walk and knew she looked familiar, but in the chaotic swirl of our environment, couldn’t mentally place her. An hour later we actually met -- not just me spotting her from afar -- and she kindly reminded me of her name: Savanna Sigmon.

Yes, yes. Of course. Savanna Sigmon from Gaston County.

I’d written about Savanna four years ago. The post went viral on Facebook. She’d suffered a massive brain bleed at 21-weeks pregnant while working in the church nursery on a Sunday, and was fighting for both the life of herself, and her child. (The image is from the wbtv.com 2018 article, here >> https://tinyurl.com/5n88yx92)

At the time, Savanna’s prognosis wasn’t good. The only way she had any hope is that first responders were attending church that Sunday when it all happened, and got to her quickly.

Despite that original prognosis, Savanna came out ahead.

But what happened over the past four years?

This week we re-connected on email. She was an open book. “After my brain bled, I spent 74 days in the hospital,” Savanna said. “I went back-and-forth between an ICU step-down unit, and a rehab hospital. All while still pregnant. I eventually went home for six weeks until it was time to return to the hospital to deliver our son. Bear was born happy and healthy on February 11th, 2019. He was 7lb, 13oz, and over 21-inches long. A big boy! He is an incredible miracle of my journey and this story.”

Savanna says as soon as she cleared post-partum to proceed with brain procedures, her treatments began.

“I had a total of four brain embolizations and two rounds of brain radiation,” she said. “The treatment work they did in my brain will -- hopefully -- make a future bleed less likely.”

Think about that moment in time for this young and beautiful woman. Savanna was a new mom -- challenging in itself -- while also navigating brain treatments.

“Our friends and family helped tremendously,” she said. “Everyone’s support and prayers are how we’ve gotten to where we are today. My husband, Brett, has been faithfully by my side every step of this crazy journey. We almost can’t believe the past few years that we’ve lived together.”

It’s adorable. Bear is now 3-and-a-half and in preschool. Oh? And Savanna at the Pink Cupcake Walk this past Saturday? She was there to give back and support another friend of hers who is battling breast cancer -- Sandy Ann.

Paying it forward, she says, in whatever ways she can.

-Molly