A mum left with a deadly spinal condition after hitting her head on a ceiling fan has made a 'miracle' recovery after undergoing life-saving surgery paid for by a stranger. Rachel Pighills, 36, was left wheelchair-bound with the constant risk of being 'internally decapitated' - but can now walk unaided without a neck brace for the first time in four years.
She had been moving into a new house in August 2018 when the spinning blades of a ceiling fan smashed her on the back of the head causing her catastrophic injuries.
The mum-of-one was left with atlantoaxial instability and basilar invagination - meaning her brain was literally sinking into her spine as her skull dropped. The rare condition meant she could no longer turn her head the wrong way as each time she did her spine would partially dislocate increasing a risk of paralysis or death.
