10/05/2026
Madeline Strom spent years trying to get pregnant. When IVF finally worked, something still wasn't right.
Her voice deepened, she broke out in acne, and dark facial hair began to grow. Her blood pressure spiked, and a fibroid kept growing. At her 20-week ultrasound, her testosterone levels came back more than 35 times higher than normal. Doctors assured her the symptoms would pass, but Madeline and her mother, who are both nurses, knew better.
Searching for answers, Madeline found her way to The Women's Hospital at Jackson Memorial, where a multidisciplinary team finally saw the full picture: a rare ovarian tumor called a Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, which produces male hormones and, in most cases, prevents pregnancy altogether.
Dr. Rodrigo Ruano, director of the UHealth Jackson Fetal Care Center, and Dr. Joseph Pearson, a gynecologic oncologist at Jackson Memorial and UHealth, led her care. At 25 weeks pregnant, Dr. Pearson and his team successfully removed the tumor.
The road didn't end there. At 29 weeks, her water broke on the day of her baby shower. Her daughter arrived at 32 weeks, weighing 3 pounds, 12 ounces, and spent a month in the NICU at Holtz Children's Hospital before heading home.
Today, both mom and baby are doing well. 🫶🏼
💬 "I really think my daughter saved my life," Madeline said. "The team at Jackson saved my life, and my daughter's life. I can't thank them enough."
Read more about Madeline's story at https://maternity.jacksonhealth.org/patient-stories/a-miracle-pregnancy-saves-south-florida-womans-life-after-rare-ovarian-tumor-discovery/
