A woman who lives in a halo brace has just two weeks to raise £60,000 for surgery that could save her life.
Melanie Hartshorn, who has spent most of her life on her back, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes her skull to dislocate from her neck and spine.
The halo, which she wears 24/7, keeps her in a fixed position and stops constant seizures.
But it is only a temporary fix and Melanie, 32, needs a major op to fuse her neck to her spine.
Her surgery has been booked for next month in Spain – but can only happen if she has the funds.
Melanie set a target of £100,000 – but has £45,000 left to raise.
With time running out, she says: “I’m in a lot of pain. The operation will give me a last chance at having a life.
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Melanie Hartshorn / SWNS)Image:
Melanie Hartshorn / SWNS)“I’m living in metal screwed into my skull in four places. I’m the only person in the world that’s been in a surgical halo for so long… 15 months so far.
“Without funds for specialist surgery, I will die. I stop breathing without the halo.
“But it isn’t going to last as it’s already broken. If I don’t raise the money, I’ll have to postpone the op to next year. I’ve no idea how I’m going to be then.”
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newcastle chronicle)The smallest tilt of her head can cause Melanie to stop breathing, have seizures or suffer nausea. Melanie, who is looked after by her mum and a carer, says: “The pain is through the roof and I feel, and look, so ill.
“I deteriorate after something like an asthma attack. All the coughing loosens my spine until it won’t stay in place. It’s unbearable.
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Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)“With less than two weeks left to go, not raising the funds and missing my chance for an op is looking likely. I can’t put into words how scary this is – it’s all I can think about.”
Despite her condition, Melanie, who dreams of being a teacher, lives as normal a life as possible. In 2016, she finished studying for a BSc in biology at Newcastle University and attended her graduation ceremony on a stretcher. She has so far had a string of ops in Spain and her neck and spine were fused together in 2017.
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Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)But four screws in her vertebrae snapped – so she has been wearing the halo since May 2021.
The old screws can’t be removed and surgeons must access her neck via the throat.
Melanie, from Cramlington, Northumberland, says: “It’s a nightmare. The screws are broken inside my bones.
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Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)“My surgeon has spent the last year trying to come up with a plan – it’s risky but will save my life.
“Once my neck is fused, I wouldn’t stop breathing and I’d be able to go out in my wheelchair. I just need the money.
“I can’t keep living in this halo but at the moment, I can’t live without it. I will die without surgery. This is my last chanceat life."
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