Mom and Baby Beat 1-in-a-Million Odds to Survive the ‘Rarest of Pregnancies’

This photo provided by the family shows, from left, Kaila, Suze, Ryu and Andrew Lopez at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles in August 2025 – family photo

A Los Angeles woman recently celebrated the first Christmas with her baby boy, Ryu, born to truly remarkable circumstances.

Ryu developed outside his mother’s womb, and remained hidden for months behind an ovarian cyst that grew to be the size of a basketball. It was so unbelievable, the surgical/OBGYN team that delivered Ryu documented it for a case study in a medical journal.

The manner in which Ryu came into being represents a circumstance that’s “far, far less than 1 in a million,” said Dr. John Ozimek, medical director of labor and delivery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, where Ryu was born. “I mean, this is really insane.”

Now 41, Suze Lopez has always had an irregular cycle, so missed periods—even consecutive ones—are a normal occurrence. It was almost 20 years ago that she was diagnoses with a pair of ovarian cysts, one of which was removed immediately, and one of which was not.

So in early 2025 when Lopez noted her abdomen swelling, her first thought was the cyst. She never felt kicking, and never had morning sickness—and indeed her instinct was at least partly correct.

The pressure and pain in her abdomen grew as days passed, and she was certain that, even if it risked her ability to conceive again, it was time to remove the other cyst which unbeknownst to her had grown to weigh a mind-boggling 22 pounds.

She needed a CT scan to prepare for surgery, which required a pregnancy test for the radiation, and to her utter surprise the test came back positive. Lopez was delighted, but the pain and discomfort grew and soon she had to be hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai where her medical team found a near fully-developed fetus in an amniotic sack lodged against her pelvis.

The term for where the fetus develops is “implants” and the term for a fetus that implants outside of the womb is an “ectopic pregnancy.” Almost all of these go on to rupture and hemorrhage. As such, fetal mortality can be as high as 90% in such cases and birth defects are seen in about 1 in 5 surviving babies, SF Gate reports.

However, because fetal Ryu implanted against the pelvic wall and not against the liver, it was far more manageable, and the reason why Lopez didn’t have more pain earlier.

Lopez and her boy beat the odds, despite a mammoth surgical procedure that both delivered Ryu at 8 pounds and removed the ovarian cyst—together weighing as much as an adult bobcat. During the procedure, Lopez lost half her blood, and had to be continually given transfusions.

“The whole time, I might have seemed calm on the outside, but I was doing nothing but praying on the inside,” Andrew Lopez, Suze’s husband, told SF Gate. “It was just something that scared me half to death, knowing that at any point I could lose my wife or my child.”Instead, they both survived without any maleffects. Ryu “completes” their family, said his mother, and recently celebrated his first Christmas alongside his older sister Kaila. Mom and Baby Beat 1-in-a-Million Odds to Survive the ‘Rarest of Pregnancies

Read More........→November 04, 2026

Cataract Surgery Restores Sight for 54-Year-Old Chimpanzee–the First Such Procedure at Chimp Haven

Pierre the Chimp recovering from cataract surgery – credit, Chimp Haven, supplied

After becoming completely blind from cataracts, a 54-year-old chimpanzee named Pierre is seeing again following a successful surgery at Chimp Haven, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.

The procedure, the first cataract surgery performed for a resident at Chimp Haven, restored functional sight and allowed Pierre to quickly begin reconnecting with the people, chimpanzees, and activities familiar to him.

As Pierre’s vision had declined, caregivers adapted his daily routines and environment to help him continue navigating as independently as possible. Staff used sound cues and specialized feeding approaches and added handholds, ladders and other supports to areas Pierre used regularly.

Eventually though, it was agreed that a surgical procedure was necessary, something which would require months of preparation.

In preparation for his recovery and potential post-operative needs, the team used positive reinforcement training to teach Pierre to voluntarily present his eyes for care, including positioning that would allow staff to administer eyedrops and closely monitor his eyes if needed. Pierre learned to participate in this care while he was still blind, helping the team prepare to safely provide treatment without compromising his comfort or welfare.

A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Kenneth Pierce, performed the procedure to remove cataracts from Pierre’s eyes. The results were noticeable almost immediately.

Within hours of surgery, he was responding visually to a longtime caregiver, and within days he was reuniting with Jill, one of his closest chimpanzee companions. Pierre was ultimately able to return to his social group earlier than initially expected.

Scenes from Pierre’s surgery – credit, Chimp Haven, supplied

“Pierre’s recovery is a wonderful example of what individualized care can look like for an aging chimpanzee,” said Dr. DaShaunté Coleman, veterinarian at Chimp Haven.

“The surgery itself was only one part of the process. Months of preparation and collaboration across our care teams helped ensure Pierre was comfortable participating in any follow-up care that might be needed and gave him the best opportunity for a successful recovery.”

Among the first people Pierre saw was Colony Director Michelle Reininger, who has known and cared for him for more than 25 years.

“Watching Pierre look at me again was something I will never forget,” Reininger said.

As lately as the 1980s, chimpanzees were still widely subjected to medical research trials in the US through captive breeding programs. Ethical debates about this practice became more common as the years went on, while at the same time the National Institutes of Health was required to care for an ever greater number of captive chimps and the complex full-time care they need to thrive.

Varied groups proposed a species-specific sanctuary for chimps of all ages retired from medical research, and in 2000, the Caddo Parish Commission in Northwest Louisiana donated 200 wooded acres of the Eddie D. Jones Nature Park to build the new facility.

Chimp Haven has been providing hundreds of chimpanzees ever since with a large territory to live enriched and fulfilling lives, which includes sophisticated medical care such as what Pierre received.

“Every chimpanzee ages differently, just like people do,” Dr. Coleman said in a statement. “Our goal is to understand what each individual needs and help them remain comfortable, active and connected to their social group as they age.”“In Pierre’s case, months of preparation made it possible for him to receive this specialized care and get back to the routines and relationships that are important to him.” Cataract Surgery Restores Sight for 54-Year-Old Chimpanzee–the First Such Procedure at Chimp Haven

Read More........→September 23, 2026