New Mom Gets CT Scan After Giving Birth—Then Comes Life-Changing Diagnosis
Bethany Worthey-Williams told Newsweek that her symptoms came out of nowhere, just days after giving birth to her second child.
A Nebraska mother, Bethany Worthey-Williams, experienced a series of concerning symptoms after giving birth to her second child. Initially, her elevated blood pressure and a sudden migraine prompted her to return home. However, the symptoms persisted, leading her to visit an emergency room where doctors attributed her condition to postpartum preeclampsia.
Seven days later, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, a CT scan with contrast revealed she had autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a genetic condition causing cysts to form in the kidneys over time. Unfamiliar with the diagnosis, she was shocked to learn she had no family history of the disease despite it being inherited.
Blood tests confirmed she carried the ADPKD1 gene mutation. Worthey-Williams now faces the reality of her daughters potentially inheriting the condition, with each having a 50 percent chance of doing so. She is currently managing recurring kidney stones, blood in her urine, and chronic pain while advocating for a healthy lifestyle for her children and hoping for a future cure for the disease.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
