Illinois Woman Survives Rare Internal Decapitation Following Years of Medical Struggles
In a remarkable case of medical resilience, an Illinois woman has survived a rare and often fatal condition known as internal decapitation, after doctors successfully reattached her skull to her spine.
Megan King, now 35, first sustained injuries at the age of 16 during a gym class soccer match when she fell while attempting to catch a ball. The incident resulted in a damaged ankle, spinal trauma, and torn muscles from both shoulder blades.
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Over the years, King underwent 22 surgical procedures as her condition progressively worsened. Physicians later diagnosed her with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), a hereditary connective tissue disorder that disrupts collagen production and causes extreme joint instability.
One year after receiving her diagnosis, King’s condition escalated when her neck became dislocated. To stabilize her cervical spine, she was fitted with a rigid “halo brace,” a device secured with screws into her skull to prevent movement.
Tragically, upon removal of the brace, King suffered a catastrophic medical emergency. Her skull detached from her spine—a condition clinically known as atlanto-occipital dislocation, or internal decapitation. This injury, which often proves fatal due to the disruption of neural communication between the brain and body, required immediate surgical intervention.
“I had to throw my chair back to fight gravity from finishing the job. My neurosurgeon physically held my skull in place. I was shaking uncontrollably on my right side and couldn’t stand,” King recounted.
Surgeons acted swiftly, performing emergency spinal fusion surgery to reattach her skull to her spine. King awoke from the operation immobilized, unable to move her head at all. She described the experience as “a horror show.”
Since the original accident, King has endured 37 surgeries. Her spine is now fused from her skull to her pelvis, leaving her without the ability to move her torso or neck. “I am quite literally a human statue,” she explained. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped living.”
Although internal decapitation is exceedingly rare—representing less than 1% of cervical spine injuries—it is more commonly seen in children due to the incomplete development of their bones. In King’s unique case, a combination of a traumatic fall and her preexisting hEDS condition was sufficient to cause the severe injury.
Despite the physical limitations, King has made progress in reclaiming aspects of her former life. She recently resumed leisure activities such as bowling, sharing with joy that she bowled a strike on her first attempt. “My friends cheered loudly—not just for the strike, but for everything I’ve survived.”
Source: Daily Mail
