A British woman who is the only person in the world to live full-time with a metal halo fixed to her skull is in a race against time to raise £70,000 in four weeks - or she will die. Melanie Hartshorn has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and a rare form of muscular dystrophy, which causes all her joints to dislocate.
Her skull, neck and spine were regularly dislocating, causing life-threatening seizures. She underwent surgery last year to have a surgical brace, called a halo, screwed into her skull and spine to prevent the dislocations.
But after 15 months living in the halo – longer than any other patient in the world – the metal brace is breaking apart. Four titanium screws that were embedded into her spine have also snapped, which means she is unable to have a new halo fitted.
