A doctor in England turned to artificial intelligence (AI) in a desperate attempt to save his mother after hospital staff warned that she had only hours to live. The technology helped identify a vitamin deficiency linked to her Parkinson’s medication, leading to a treatment that stopped her life-threatening seizures.
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Edward Patrick, an NHS anaesthetist from Oxfordshire, told The Sunday Times that his mother, Ann Patrick, was admitted to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham after suffering continuous seizures that doctors struggled to explain.
A desperate search for answers
The incident unfolded in May when Edward received a telephone call at 4 am, urging him to reach the hospital immediately because his mother was “close to death”.
While driving from Oxfordshire to Nottingham, Edward received a text from his brother suggesting that a vitamin deficiency might explain their mother's condition.
{{/usCountry}}While driving from Oxfordshire to Nottingham, Edward received a text from his brother suggesting that a vitamin deficiency might explain their mother's condition.
{{/usCountry}}At the hospital, Edward entered her symptoms, medical scans and test results into an AI tool. The technology suggested that a vitamin B6 deficiency associated with her Parkinson’s medication could be responsible for the seizures.
Edward shared the findings with the medical team, which subsequently administered vitamin B6 intravenously. The seizures stopped almost immediately.
Recalling the dramatic turnaround, Edward compared the experience to a “House moment”, referencing the medical television drama featuring Dr Gregory House.
“There’s no other way of describing it,” he told The Sunday Times.
“Every time I tell the story, I feel like, ‘Am I making this up?’ To come from the jaws of death. She only had hours [left to live],” he added.
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What caused the medical emergency?
Ann had developed rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal condition involving the breakdown of muscle tissue.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition releases harmful substances into the bloodstream, potentially damaging the kidneys. Severe seizures are among its possible triggers.
The Sunday Times reported that long-term use of certain Parkinson’s medications can contribute to vitamin B6 deficiency, although such severe complications are rare.
Since receiving treatment, Ann, who is in her late seventies, has shown significant improvement and has not required another hospital admission, according to her son.
Reflecting on her recovery, Ann said, “I just can’t get over that such a small thing can make such a large difference to whether you live or die.”
“I’m a proud mom, absolutely,” she added.