Published: November 26, 2025 | Updated: December 4, 2025
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Brain surgery is always a challenging journey, but for Lydia McCloskey of New Albany, Indiana, the combination of skilled surgeons, advanced technology and personalized care made it possible to overcome a life-threatening condition.
Lydia’s story began before she even entered the world. Born at just 33 weeks after her mother experienced a serious pregnancy complication (placenta rupture), she arrived via emergency cesarean section at Norton Clark Hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana. She was quickly transferred to Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent five weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, fighting for every milestone.
Because of some facial features, Lydia received an MRI, which showed hemimegencephaly, an abnormality of one whole side of her brain. As Lydia wasn’t having seizures, the plan was to monitor her condition.
After returning home, Lydia’s parents began noticing unusual signs. Her mother, Sarah McCloskey, recalled seeing unusual eye movements and other concerning symptoms. They returned to the doctor to discover Lydia had developed active seizures and epilepsy.
“She was just 6 months old, and seeing her have seizures all day was torture,” Sarah said.
At first, the team at Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute tried high-dose seizure medications, including steroids, but the treatments were difficult for the tiny baby. Eventually, the McCloskey family faced a difficult decision: to pursue brain surgery to give Lydia a chance at a healthier life.
Enter Ian S. Mutchnick, M.D., pediatric neurosurgeon with Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Mutchnick has a lifelong fascination with neuroscience, a passion sparked in part by humanitarian work abroad.
“Understanding epilepsy means understanding the brain, how it processes information and how its different parts communicate,” Dr. Mutchnick said.
Surgery was the best option for Lydia but presented significant challenges. One procedure – a hemispherectomy – involved completely removing the abnormal hemisphere of her brain, which would likely resolve the seizures but often leads to lifelong complications such as hydrocephalus.
The alternative – a hemispherotomy – was even more complex: disconnecting the affected hemisphere through small, precise cuts while leaving that part of the brain alive and well, but unable to send seizure messages to the body. It’s a complicated procedure in its own right but even more difficult for a young child with abnormal brain anatomy.
To prepare, Dr. Mutchnick used technology called Surgical Theater, which creates a 360-degree virtual reality model of a patient’s brain. Using this system, he “practiced” Lydia’s surgery before the actual procedure. During the operation, Dr. Mutchnick used the VR model to navigate Lydia’s brain, allowing him to make the delicate cuts necessary to disconnect the problem area while minimizing her risk of hydrocephalus.
In June 2023, at just 18 months old, Lydia had her surgery. The planning and precision paid off as the procedure was a success.
Today, Lydia is seizure-free and loving life as a 4-year-old. She adores her cats, Minnie and Lollie, and dogs, Lenny and Louie. She also goes to prekindergarten and has started making friends. She still has some delays and challenges moving the left side of her body, but her recovery has exceeded expectations.
“She has really taken off,” Dr. Mutchnick said.
Reflecting on their journey, Sarah said they’re very fortunate to have Norton Children’s and its nationally ranked neurology and neurosurgery program close to home.
“I am forever grateful to Dr. Mutchnick and Norton Children’s,” she said. “The support they have shown us even beyond the surgical side of things made all the difference in the world.”
Watch a video of Lydia’s story.