Brain Slipping Down Spine: Woman's Living Hell
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Insider
Emily Balfour, a 25-year-old woman from London, is raising funds for a stem cell treatment that could prevent her brain from slipping down her spine and causing paralysis. Balfour suffered an ice skating injury at 14, which destabilized her spine, and was later diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She now has a Chiari malformation and craniocervical instability, causing extreme pain, fatigue, paralysis, and loss of vision. The stem cell treatment, called a PICL, involves injecting stem cells into the spine through the back of the mouth, and Balfour hopes it will stabilize her skull and prevent further damage to her brainstem.