By Ed Chatterton and Roseanne Edwards
A “fit and healthy” 17-year-old girl has been left paralyzed and unable to talk after what she thought was period pain turned out to be a spinal stroke.
Shakira Gorman is currently on a ventilator in an intensive care unit after suffering a rare form of stroke which usually affects people between 50-70.
Her devastated family said nurses told them they had never known a patient so young to have a spinal stroke and mystery surrounded her condition when she was rushed to A&E.
Beauty student Shakira had been at her boyfriend’s house two days before Christmas when she started bleeding and believed it to be a heavy period at first.
But she was rushed to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after she started struggling to breathe and lost the feeling in her arms and hands.
Shakira, of Banbury, Oxon, was put on a ventilator to breathe for her and she remains in intensive care more than two weeks later.
She cannot speak and communicates through the family through lip reading and using a word board.
Her elder sister, mum-of-two Chelsea Coles, 29, said the family is deeply shocked she has suffered such a rare medical condition at such a young age.
The condition is reportedly so rare that it affects 1 in 3 million people.
Shakira had also complained of back and shoulder pain beforehand and the family are urging people to be aware of the symptoms.
Chelsea said: “It’s so rare. Shakira was at her boyfriend’s house and she started bleeding very heavily – haemorrhaging.
“She thought it was a heavy period but she quickly started losing her breath and the feeling in her arms and hands.
“She was rushed to the Horton by ambulance. They did all the observations and couldn’t work it out.
“But about four hours later she was blue-lighted to the JR.
“Later in the evening she was in great pain in her chest and body. They needed to do an MRI scan so she was anaesthetised to keep her still.
“It took them another day to confirm that it was a spinal stroke.
“She had a blood clot in her spine. She was put on blood thinners which she is still on.
“She doesn’t know the complexities and we want to protect her emotional and well-being at this time.
“She is awake and she can have a conversation; she’s still herself but she can’t move apart from her fingers, slightly.
“She can’t use a phone or the bedside bell. She’s been there a long time and is perplexed, watching other patients come and go from intensive care.”
Shakira’s parents, Lesley and Darren Gorman, are spending every visiting hour possible with their daughter while others in the family are now working to raise money to help ease the financial burden.
Chelsea added: “Mum and my stepdad go along for visiting hours from 12pm – 3pm and 5pm – 7.30pm and are trying to work in the mornings.
“My stepdad’s had to reduce his hours at Halfords and Mum’s got compassionate leave from Orchard Fields School where she is a lunch supervisor.
“She has also has a full-time job which she’s trying to cover as much as possible.
“We have three younger siblings at home and special arrangements have had to be made to enable them to go to school.
“We older siblings are making sure they are OK.
“We don’t know what the future holds. At the moment we’re taking each day as it comes.
“Each day is different – and we are taking one step at a time. Shakira knows everyone is doing all they can to support her.
“My parents are feeling empty, devastated and they’re still in shock – it’s so unexpected.
“The fundraiser will help cover some of the lost income, their travel and if Shakira needs any support in the future.
“At the moment the hospital can’t say what recovery is going to look like.
“She will be in the best hands at Stoke Mandeville. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”
Sister-in-law Chloe Coles, 30, a carer, said: “It all happened so quickly.
“The only symptom she had was a bit of shoulder and back pain, she thought it might be back ache or her period starting.
“So she had a hot bath to try and help with it – but within an hour or two they were doing all sorts of tests on her in hospital.
“We can’t believe it, she was always a fit and healthy 17-year-old. She is studying beauty at college and into her hair and make-up.
“The nurses were baffled, it was a mystery at first what had happened to her, because a spinal stroke is pretty much unheard of in people her age.
“They had never known anyone so young as it usually affects older people.
“Shakira is currently on the waiting list to be transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital where the spinal specialists are.
“The waiting time for a bed is not known. We are hoping the specialists will be able to give more answers and help Shakira get better although it is not guaranteed that she will fully recover from this.
“Myself and my husband made the fundraiser to help ease the financial pressure on Shakira’s parents at this devastating time.
“As soon as visiting hours open both parents are at her bedside and do not leave the hospital until visiting hours are over.
“With three of four jobs in the household not being worked, household income has dropped.
“The fundraiser is to try to ease some of the pressure at his most difficult time, in the hope they would not have to worry about bills and travel costs – so that they could solely concentrate on being by their daughter’s side.”
The Brain and Spine Foundation states: “A spinal stroke is a disruption in the blood supply to the spinal cord.
“The spinal cord depends on a supply of blood to function properly. A disruption in the blood supply can cause injury or damage to tissues and can block messages (nerve impulses) travelling along the spinal cord.
“The blood supply to the spinal cord involves a complex system of blood vessels.
“The main blood vessels are the anterior spinal artery (at the front of the spinal cord) and the posterior spinal artery (at the back). Spinal strokes are most common in the anterior spinal artery.
“Most spinal strokes are caused by blockages (usually blood clots) in the blood supply.
“These are called ischaemic spinal strokes. Some spinal strokes are caused by bleeds. These are called haemorrhagic spinal strokes.
“Spinal strokes are a rare condition. They are less common than strokes that affect the brain. They account for 1.25% of all strokes.”
