A mum with a rare spine condition which could “internally decapitate” her at any moment is to undergo life-saving surgery thanks to a stranger's £130,000 donation. Rachel Pighills, 35, was trying to raise enough funds for pioneering treatment in Spain after she was left with the neck injury.
She had been moving into a new house when she struck her head on a ceiling fan while stood on a bed, causing horrific injuries in August 2018. The freak accident left her with atlanto axial instability and basilar invagination, where her brain is sinking into her spine and her skull is sliding down onto her neck.
It means she can no longer turn her head in a certain direction, as each time she does her spine partially dislocates - increasing her risk of paralysis or death. Rachel and husband Guy, 41, have been desperately trying to raise £350,000 for potentially life-saving treatment in Barcelona for the past two years.
