Tovah Freedman is a patient who came to Seattle with Addison for a uterine transplant.
History[]
Tovah always knew that she wanted to be a mother. She was the youngest of five siblings, but was always the mother when they played.
When she grew up, she married Jonathan and they immediately tried to have children. She had her first miscarriage six months into their marriage and had one per year until they finally got to the second trimester. Then she had a placental abruption and had to have an emergency hysterectomy and the fetus did not survive. Jonathan was then diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and died, but before he died, he froze his sperm, giving Tovah the hope that she'd eventually bring his child into the world and realize her dream of being a mother.
Over two years later, Tovah was prepared to have a uterine transplant to aid her journey to motherhood. Since she had family in Seattle to help her during her recovery, Addison asked to do her surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial. As Addison operated, the HVAC system at the hospital went out, forcing her to call in Meredith to rush the surgery. After the placed the graft, there was no blood flow, forcing them to detach it to dislodge a clot. Despite this complication, the surgery was a success and Tovah was stable after her surgery. ("Hotter Than Hell")
After her transplant surgery, Tovah began having seizures. Addison administered lorazepam and phenobarbital to treat the seizures with no effect. In order to preserve brain function, Addison put her into an induced coma in order to consult with a neurosurgeon for further treatment options. After her CT and labs were evaluated, Amelia ordered an MRI, an EEG, and additional panel-testing to determine her electrolyte and immunosuppressant levels. Because the testing revealed no neurological causes for the seizures, Amelia recommended an increase of anticonvulsants and switching immunosuppressants to combat the likely cause of neurotoxicity from the anti-rejection medication due to the uterine transplant. Addison agreed, and the new treatment plan proved successful. She woke up with the uterine transplant intact and still qualifying for Addison's trial. ("With a Little Help From My Friends")
Several months later, Tovah was pregnant in her transplanted uterus. The pregnancy was her final embryo made from her husband's sperm. When she was eleven weeks, she reported abdominal pain, so Addison came to Seattle to check on her. Addison found that she had restricted blood flow to both sides of the uterus. An MR angio showed the right side was completely clotted off while the left side was clotted, but salvageable, so they took her into surgery to clear the blockage and try to save the graft and the pregnancy. In surgery, they discovered there was no blood flow to the left side. Addison prepared to remove the graft and pregnancy, but Meredith suggested a vascular revision to restore blood flow. It worked, but by that point, there was not fetal heartbeat. Addison did a D&C. When Addison told Tovah what had happened, she also told her the graft was still viable and she could try again, just not with her husband's sperm. Levi, seeing her grief, offered to recite the mourner's Kaddish with her. She cried as they did so. ("Should I Stay or Should I Go")
Relationships[]
Romantic[]
She was married to Jonathan until his death. They were both one of five children.
Familial[]
She is the youngest of five siblings. Her family lives in Seattle. ("Hotter Than Hell") Her sisters begged her not to participate in Addison's trial because they didn't want to lose her. ("With a Little Help From My Friends")
Notes and Trivia[]
- She was 33 years old at the time of her transplant.
- She knits.
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Appearances[]
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 18 | |||||
| #01 | "Here Comes the Sun" | #08 | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | #15 | "Put It to the Test" |
| #02 | "Some Kind of Tomorrow" | #09 | "No Time to Die" | #16 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" |
| #03 | "Hotter Than Hell" | #10 | "Living In a House Divided" | #17 | "I'll Cover You" |
| #04 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | #11 | "Legacy" | #18 | "Stronger Than Hate" |
| #05 | "Bottle Up and Explode!" | #12 | "The Makings of You" | #19 | "Out for Blood" |
| #06 | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" | #13 | "Put the Squeeze On Me" | #20 | "You Are the Blood" |
| #07 | "Today Was a Fairytale" | #14 | "Road Trippin'" | ||