Woman Survives Internal Decapitation

Which is the separation of the skull from the spinal column, without actual separation of the head from the body.

She has a long, long road of recovery ahead of her.

A car crash in Nebraska on Jan. 25 threw Malloy up against the vehicle's dashboard. In the process, her skull became separated from her spine. The clinical term for her condition is called internal decapitation.

"I remember the impact and then I had no control over my head," said Malloy. "I wasn't focused so much on the pain. I just kept thinking, 'I have to stay alive.'"

Dr. Gary Ghiselli, a chiropractor at the Denver Spine Center, said Malloy's will to survive is what saved her.

"I've seen it once before and, unfortunately, the patient didn't make it," said Ghiselli.

Five screws were drilled into Malloy's neck. Four more were drilled into her head to keep it stabilized. Then a thing called a halo -- rods and a circular metal bar -- was attached for added support. It's not exactly a pain-free procedure.

"My skull slipped off my neck about five times. Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip," said Malloy.

At least she seems to have all of her higher brain functions intact.

Let's just call this site Ace of Dri.

posted by Ace at 07:59 PM

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