A British woman nearly dead “internally decapitated”She was struck in the head by a ceiling fan and is now fighting for her life.
Rachel Pighills (35), from Worcestershire was struck by a fan while standing on her bed. The incident happened in 2018 when she was busy moving into her new home, SWNS reported.
Pighills is now suffering from atlantoaxial stability and basilar invagination. This is a life-threatening condition where the skull and brain have slipped inside the spine, causing a protruding bone into her brain stem. Guy, Pighills’ husband, wrote in a GoFundMe.
Pighills had occipital spinal fusion surgery in January 2020. Guy explained that doctors used rods and screws to affix his wife’s skull to her spine. Guy explained that doctors also removed bone from her skull and spine to make more space for her brain.
“The surgeon assured us this procedure would relieve the pressure from her brainstem,”Guy stated. “Sadly, this has not been the case, and we eventually learned that Rachel’s surgery had failed.”
Pighills’ condition has become more severe. Tests have revealed “Rapid decline in her brainstem function.” which, Guy wrote, “Brainstem death can occur when the brain is shut down completely.”
“Rachel needs to undergo a combination of very complex brain and spinal surgeries in order to save her life!” he wrote.
After consulting with multiple specialists worldwide, Pighills’ husband said that a specialist neurosurgeon based in New York, Dr. Paolo Bolognese, may be able to help his wife but, in order to accomplish this, he needs to raise money.
He explained that $500,000 (£350,000) would be needed to cover three major surgeries, pre, and post-surgery and nursing care. In addition, to air ambulance costs, which he explained is approximately $123,000 (£90,000).
Pighills, who is the mother to a 14-year-old daughter, is described by her husband as “strong, brave, and selfless.” He wrote in the heartbreaking post that “the thought of life without her is unbearable.”
“Watching her suffer and dying before my eyes is soul-destroying. Our daughter constantly worries that she may come home from school one day to find out she’s lost her mum for good,” Guy said.
“Sadly time is crucial now as Rachel is in respiratory failure and every day I am witnessing her deterioration,”He wrote. “The quicker we can raise the funds the more hope we have of her making a full recovery. Rachel is now unable to leave the house unaided and has no quality of life.”
