Model Hailey Bieber was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and by the time she got there her symptoms had abated. She underwent testing, which showed that she had a small blood clot in her brain, which had resolved on its own, a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
A TIA is defined opens in a new tab or window as “a transient episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischemia, without acute infarction.” Most symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour, although they may persist for up to 24 hours.
What caused Hailey Bieber’s mini-stroke?
Bieber was diagnosed with a small opening in her heart, called a Patent Foramen Ovale or PFO, that didn’t close the way it should after birth. This caused the blood clot to move from her heart to her brain and led to her mini-stroke.
Originally doctors thought that the explanation for the TIA was a combination of birth-control pill use, a recent bout of COVID-19, a history of migraines, and a recent long flight. However, after she underwent additional testing, a more likely source was found, she related: “They found that I had a grade 5 PFO [patent foramen ovale], which is the highest grade that you can have.
