whoops, my head fell off again, it does that sometimes

memento_mori · 05-17-2007, 12:42 PM

DENVER - Even her surgeon calls her a miracle. Shannon Malloy was critically injured Jan. 25 when a car crash slammed her into the dashboard. Her skull separated from her spine, although her skin, spinal cord and other internal organs remained intact.

The rare condition is known as clinically as internal decapitation, and it left her with no control over her head.

Her injuries left Malloy with nerve damage that made her eyes cross, and she has difficulty swallowing. She was not paralyzed. She told her story to Denver station KMGH-TV.

Dr. Gary Ghiselli, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Denver Spine Center, said he and his colleagues had never seen such an injury in someone still living.

"I've seen it once before," Ghiselli said, "and, unfortunately, the patient didn't make it."
Even after the crash, physicians in Nebraska, where Malloy lives, told relatives they should prepare to say their goodbyes.

Ghiselli said a will to survive kept Malloy, 30, alive long enough for surgeons to insert screws in her head and neck and attach a halo to minimize movement — no easy task.
"My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip."

Doctors eventually stabilized her head and strengthened her neck. The halo has since been removed.

"It's a miracle that she was able to survive from the actual accident," Ghiselli said. "It's a miracle that she's made the progress that she's made."

Woman survives 'internal decapitation' - Yahoo! News

drb · 05-17-2007, 12:48 PM

dude that freakin' amazing * long low whistle*

BreakfastSurreal · 05-17-2007, 12:51 PM

i was about to pop my neck but after reading this i decided against it.

All Else Failed · 05-17-2007, 12:56 PM

In a word: "owned"

05-17-2007, 12:42 PM	#1
memento_mori Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,662 Tokenz: 1,777	whoops, my head fell off again, it does that sometimes DENVER - Even her surgeon calls her a miracle. Shannon Malloy was critically injured Jan. 25 when a car crash slammed her into the dashboard. Her skull separated from her spine, although her skin, spinal cord and other internal organs remained intact. The rare condition is known as clinically as internal decapitation, and it left her with no control over her head. Her injuries left Malloy with nerve damage that made her eyes cross, and she has difficulty swallowing. She was not paralyzed. She told her story to Denver station KMGH-TV. Dr. Gary Ghiselli, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Denver Spine Center, said he and his colleagues had never seen such an injury in someone still living. "I've seen it once before," Ghiselli said, "and, unfortunately, the patient didn't make it." Even after the crash, physicians in Nebraska, where Malloy lives, told relatives they should prepare to say their goodbyes. Ghiselli said a will to survive kept Malloy, 30, alive long enough for surgeons to insert screws in her head and neck and attach a halo to minimize movement — no easy task. "My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip." Doctors eventually stabilized her head and strengthened her neck. The halo has since been removed. "It's a miracle that she was able to survive from the actual accident," Ghiselli said. "It's a miracle that she's made the progress that she's made." Woman survives 'internal decapitation' - Yahoo! News __________________ Genius and Insanity are only separated by varying degrees of success.

05-17-2007, 12:48 PM	#2
drb V.I.P User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: between a rock and a hard place Posts: 1,747 Tokenz: 1,096	Re: whoops, my head fell off again, it does that sometimes dude that freakin' amazing * long low whistle* __________________ Some of us are born human, the rest of us, we spend a lifetime getting there.

05-17-2007, 12:51 PM	#3
BreakfastSurreal Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: TEXAS YALL!!! Posts: 8,852 Tokenz: 16,775	Re: whoops, my head fell off again, it does that sometimes i was about to pop my neck but after reading this i decided against it. __________________

05-17-2007, 12:56 PM	#4
All Else Failed Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 6,562 Tokenz: 8,402	Re: whoops, my head fell off again, it does that sometimes In a word: "owned"

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