NEED TO KNOW
-
Shakira Gorman began experiencing heavy bleeding and back pain, which she thought was just the start of her period.
-
The 17-year-old was later hospitalized after having difficulty breathing and losing sensation in her arms.
-
She suffered from a rare spinal stroke, and doctors are uncertain about her future.
A “fit and healthy” teenager is now fighting for her life after what she initially believed to be “period pain” was identified as a spinal stroke.
Shakira Gorman, a 17-year-old from England, was at her boyfriend’s house right before Christmas when she noticed some bleeding. She brushed it off, thinking it was just a heavy menstrual cycle, and went about her day.
“It all happened so quickly,” her sister-in-law Chloe explained. “The only symptom she had was a bit of shoulder and back pain—she thought it might be just a backache or the beginning of her period.”
However, Gorman soon started having trouble breathing and lost feeling in her arms and hands. She was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where she was placed on a ventilator.
After a day of testing and a rapid decline in her health, doctors concluded that Gorman was suffering from a spinal stroke.
Spinal strokes are extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of all strokes. They occur when blood supply to the spinal cord is blocked.
Individuals experiencing spinal strokes often face sudden and severe neck or back pain, muscle weakness, and, in serious instances, paralysis. These strokes can lead to fatal outcomes or long-term disabilities.
Sadly, Gorman fell into the severe category. She ended up in the ICU, paralyzed and unable to communicate.
“She is in high dependency critical care and requires breathing tubes along with various life-saving measures,” her family mentioned on a fundraising page. “She’s unable to speak, and lip reading, while necessary, has its challenges due to the medical equipment. She has lost movement in both arms and will need therapy to help her muscles regain function.”
Doctors have placed Gorman on blood thinners and are closely watching her condition.
“We don’t know what the future holds. Right now, we’re just taking it one day at a time,” her older sister Chelsea shared. “Each day is different, and we’re trying to stay hopeful. Shakira knows everyone cares and is doing their best to support her.”
Her parents are understandably devastated, grappling with the shock of this unexpected situation. “The hospital can’t provide clarity on her recovery yet,” she added.
With no clear path ahead, Gorman’s family provided an update, sharing that she’s now on the waiting list to be moved to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for specialized spinal care.
“We are all hopeful for her recovery❤️,” they expressed.
