Why one family named their baby after a UC Davis Health neurosurgeon

(SACRAMENTO)

When Ayden Sadegh JP Izquierdo grows up, he'll have quite the story to tell about the origin of his name. Ayden was born just after his father was treated at UC Davis Medical Center for a serious brain condition.

Neurosurgeon Cameron Sadegh was key to both the father's recovery and Ayden's name.

Headaches and a hydrocephalus diagnosis

For 37-year-old Andrew Izquierdo, 2025 started with lots of headaches and discomfort. At first, he brushed it off. He didn't have health insurance and was worried about the cost of getting checked. But the headaches kept getting worse and more frequent.

In the spring, his wife Brittney Izquierdo got pregnant. "We kind of put a lot of things on the back burner," she said. "We have a 10-year-old in sports and life was busy."

As soon as he had insurance, Andrew saw a doctor who ordered some tests that came back normal. But he still didn't feel well, and by July, his headaches were more persistent.

By September, Andrew, a plumbing foreman on new construction sites, could barely work due to the constant pain. In October, he developed new symptoms: dizziness and a loss of function in his left leg.

Andrew went to the hospital twice for the pain. During the first visit, he had an MRI and a CT scan of his brain. The scans revealed hydrocephalus, a condition caused by an excessive buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain.

Then, an appointment with Lodi neurologist Mohammed Kazmi changed the course of Andrew's treatment. Kazmi consulted UC Davis Chief of Neurological Surgery Kia Shahlaie. Shahlaie's answer was immediate: "Send him here and we will get him in as soon as possible."

Andrew Izquierdo with his wife Brittney and son Andrew

Straight from the clinic to the Emergency Department

It was now December and Andrew hadn't left the house for weeks. His headaches were unbearable. At his appointment with Shahlaie, Andrew went straight from the clinic to the Emergency Department at UC Davis Medical Center.

That's where Andrew and Brittney met Shahlaie's partner, neurosurgeon Cameron Sadegh, an expert in treating hydrocephalus.

"Andrew had blurry vision. He felt lethargic and was nearly comatose," explained Sadegh, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery. "This was a serious situation, and we needed to act quickly."

A tough surgery

Sadegh and Shahlaie planned to do an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). The procedure involves creating a small opening in the brain's ventricular system to drain excess fluid.

The camera inserted during the procedure revealed a brain lesion or scar causing a blockage. Sadegh took a biopsy of the lesion tissue to check for tumor cells.

"The ETV was very challenging due to the tissue scarring. The biopsy showed granulation or scar tissue that had blocked the brain's fluid system," Sadegh explained.

For Brittney, watching her husband on the hospital bed was terrifying.

"My best friend of 16 years was not himself and hadn't been himself for at least three months. To see him hooked up to a ventilator and with a tube coming out of his brain, it was definitely extremely hard. It was the scariest time of our lives," she remembered.

Andrew was in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks. During his hospital stay, Sadegh visited almost daily. He would check on him, give him comfort and explain the surgery again and again. After the surgery, Andrew had some short-term memory loss.

Sadegh drew a picture on the whiteboard of the surgery. He did this so Andrew had a visual reminder for himself. At one point, one of the nurses erased it, so Sadegh drew it again, this time with a Sharpie.

"It really made a difference in Andy's progress and mindset, knowing that his doctor cared so much about him. It didn't feel like he was just another patient," Brittney shared.

Caring for the caregiver

During Andrew's ICU stay, Brittney was 8 months pregnant. She tried her best to take care of him, all while taking care of herself too.

"Every day I walked in, the receptionist in the ICU would stop me and ask: 'Are you OK? How's your blood pressure?' I had a team of people from doctors to nurses looking out for me at the hospital," Brittney said.

Back home just in time for Christmas

Ayden Sadegh JP Izquierdo

Once Andrew recovered from the surgery, Sadegh performed a second surgery to place a shunt. It was the day before Christmas Eve. The next day, Sadegh visited Andrew and cleared him to go home.

"Sadegh left his family on Christmas Eve to check on Andy. That's what I call invested," Brittney said.

Andrew went home in time for Christmas Day.

That was true gift for the family. "We have a 10-year-old son at home, so it was really important for us to be there with him," Brittney said.

Andrew described the two weeks in the ICU as "kind of all a blur." At home, as his life was going back to normal, Andrew's memory started to return, little by little.

"I remember the nurses caring a lot, making sure I was okay, let alone Dr. Sadegh being so invested in me. It made all the difference." Andrew said.

"Dr. Sadegh even called Andrew on his birthday to wish him a happy birthday and see how he was doing. It wasn't only about the medical stuff; he cared personally as well," recalled Brittney. "It was the little things like that that made all the difference for us."

What's in the name?

On Jan. 17^th, Brittney gave birth to a healthy baby boy: Ayden Sadegh JP Izquierdo. JP was in honor of the baby's two great grandfathers, Jay and Peter.

During Andrew's hospital stay, Brittney had joked about adding Sadegh into the baby's name "since he did save his dads life." It was a simple 'yes' from Andrew.

"Ayden Sadegh JP Izquierdo will grow up to know he is named after three amazing, strong and well-respected men," Brittney said.

Sadegh means honest and truthful in Arabic and Persian, which means a lot to the family.

Not your classic story

Neurosurgeon Cameron Sadegh with the Izquierdo family

Andrew's hydrocephalus is now fully resolved, and his memory has been steadily improving. Doctors anticipate it will get back to normal in the coming months.

"I've been cleared to go back to work and resume normal duties. I have also started coaching my oldest son's soccer team again. It feels good to have our normalcy come back," says Andrew.

Despite the tough year, Brittney is now full of hope and gratitude. "He's my best friend. I couldn't imagine a day without him. We will forever be grateful for Dr. Sadegh, the hospital staff and our family and friends. Our village came through when we needed it the most," she said. "We are blessed."

The family's resilience and trust is something Sadegh will remember for a long time.

"This is not a classic story highlighting how things go perfectly well," Sadegh said. "It's a mix of tragedy, fear of losing a loved one, and rallying together through a hardship. This family truly believes in me and for that I'm so grateful."