A Northumberland woman is set to undergo 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. In less than two weeks, she will undergo surgery to fuse her neck to her spine.
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.