Samantha Smith undergoes life-saving surgery

Samantha Smith with her children

Scroll down for Video

Samantha Smith, whose brain and spinal cord were being crushed under the weight of her own skull, has had her life-saving surgery in Washington DC following a five-and-a-half-hour procedure on Tuesday (11 July) to stabilise her neck and spine.

During the early hours of Wednesday, her dad updated her Save Samantha appeal page after her surgeon, Dr Henderson, confirmed that surgery went ‘extremely well’. The surgery guarantees Sam will not deteriorate any further.

Dr Henderson restraightened and restructured more vertebrae than initially thought (the majority of Sam’s neck to the vertebrae approximately level with the top of her shoulder blades), but ‘felt this would give her better support’, Sam’s dad wrote. Crushed bone was mixed with bone marrow from Sam’s hip and used to fill in the space in her neck and cervical spine; over the course of six months, new bone will form and build over the sites.

The surgeon also released her tethered cord to help with her leg strength and scoliosis.

Sam’s dad continued: “We have since spoken to Samantha, and although she was uncomfortable, she is ready for the fight ahead. She passes on her thanks to all who have supported, fund raised and wished her well. Without you all we would not have got this far. Samantha now has the chance to resume her life in the way she would wish. The next few days and weeks will be very telling and will require a lot of strength, determination to get Samantha through the pain. As soon as she is able, Samantha will update.”

On Thursday, Samantha uploaded a video of herself walking with the aid of a nurse in her hospital room, accompanied by the caption: “Evidence! First walk post op.”

The momentous moment has already been viewed 18,000 times in under 24 hours.

She also uploaded a post-surgery photograph, commenting: “I'm really struggling to get this extreme pain under control, but I managed to walk around five steps to the bathroom with some help from Dom [Sam’s partner] and the nurses - one day at a time.”

Samantha will require further surgeries and treatments, including surgery for a dislocated jaw and potential surgery at the very top of her spine. She still needs to hit her £150,000 goal to pay for the surgery costs and further treatments.

The single mum of two, from Smithy Bridge, was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) in December 2016, after ‘a lifetime of pain and eight years of tests, misdiagnoses and ill health’. 

EDS is a genetic condition that means connective tissue holding the body together is faulty and too weak, causing extreme widespread pain, daily dislocations, cardiac abnormalities and multiple other illnesses. It affects around one in 5,000 people worldwide.

She had also received diagnoses including Craniocervical Instability (CCI), which can arise in EDS sufferers due to a lack of connective tissue support at the craniocervical junction (between the skull and first two vertebrae of the spine), tethered cord syndrome, Atlanto Axial Instability (unstable vertebrae which are easily dislocated).

To donate, visit:

https://www.youcaring.com/samanthasmith-788861