As a parent, it is an awful feeling when your child is sick. All you want to do is take away their symptoms and pain. Actor Tori Spelling has found herself in this situation.
Her 14-year-old daughter Stella was recently hospitalized and diagnosed with a rare form of migraine called hemiplegic migraine. This impacts one side of the body and can cause it to go numb, which is a scary thing to go through. Tori opened up about this on an appearance on SiriusXM's Jeff Lewis Live. She gave an update on Stella’s condition.
When Tori was asked how Stella was doing, she initially answered “not great.” She then went on to clarify. “She went to the ER, now twice. She was diagnosed with a hemiplegic migraine,” she explained.
Tori described what that diagnosis means since it is so rare. "One side of you goes numb. It almost kind of mimics what a stroke would be. Her left arm went completely numb. She couldn’t lift it, then half of her throat, then her mouth, so it looked like she had had a stroke,” Tori explained.
Tori also learned that Stella’s condition is hereditary, as it runs in husband Dean McDermott’s family.
"I get migraines, but (hemiplegic migraine) actually doesn’t run in my family. I found out it runs in Dean’s family," she said.
Stella’s headaches did subside while she was in the hospital, but there are lingering symptoms. She is continuing to learn about her diagnosis and still seeking treatment.
“She’s going to a neurologist at Children’s Hospital LA,” Tori added.
Tori previously shared updates on her Instagram stories. She wanted to let people know what was going on, and she shared what she has learned.
“It can be terrifying if you don’t know what’s happening or about this type of migraine,” Tori said.
Tori shares five children with husband Dean: Liam, Stella, Hattie, Finn, and Beau. Dean also has a son, Jack, from his previous marriage to Mary Jo Eustace. Dean and Mary Jo were going to adopt a baby girl named Lola, but because of the divorce Dean did not go through with it. Regardless of this, Lola is still included in their blended family.
Stella Doreen McDermott was born on June 9, 2008. Her first name is based on Tori’s favorite book and her middle name is after Dean’s late mother.
"I used to be obsessed with the book Great Expectations, and Estella was the main character. So I told that to Dean and he was like, 'That's a great name.' We were kind of playing back and forth, calling her Estella. It wasn't fitting, though. And then one day, Dean was like, 'What about Stella?' I said, 'That's it,'" she recalled.
Beyond Stella's headache struggles, Tori says that her daughter is a "Jill-of-all-trades." Stella’s Instagram bio identifies her as a “baker, crafter, model, actress, animal whisperer and anti-bullying activist.” She also frequently posts about her makeup designs, such as a Halloween look with lots of blood, guts, and gore.
Unfortunately, Stella suffered from bullying at her previous school. Her parents took her out of it, and that seemed to resolve the issue. She even landed a modeling gig with the brand Petite 'n Pretty shortly after.
Mom Tori was so proud. "How Stella got her groove back… thx to @petitenpretty – Her 1st modeling shoot as a teen girl. Stella is an amazing human. Heart of gold & always leads w/kindness. She's innovative & creative and full of fire. Which is why as a mom it was so painful to see a young woman's fire dimmed bc of bullying,” she wrote on Instagram.
