A Northumberland woman is now out of a coma after undergoing the second part of a major operation which she hopes will save her life.
Melanie Hartshorn suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which causes her skull to dislocate from her neck and spine. The rare condition means she has spent the majority of her life lying down.
The 33-year-old travelled to Barcelona in Spain for the operation, which has to be carried out through her throat, in October last year. However only the first part of the surgery was completed as her body wasn't strong enough.
