Megan King, a resident of Illinois, USA, survived one of the rarest and most potentially fatal injuries — internal decapitation, in which her skull was partially detached from her spine. It all began in 2015 when the 16-year-old student suffered an injury during a physical education class. Her spine was severely dislocated, and her shoulder muscles were torn, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing the Daily Star.
Over the course of a year, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Despite numerous visits to doctors, the final diagnosis was only confirmed later — hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). This rare genetic disorder causes tissues in the body to be extremely fragile and joints to be overly flexible. Due to this condition, Megan’s body was unable to maintain the stability of her spine.
In 2016, after the removal of a supportive brace that had been stabilizing her cervical vertebrae, Megan experienced an atlanto-occipital dislocation — a condition in which the skull effectively separates from the spine. This critical injury often results in death. However, Megan managed to undergo emergency spinal fusion surgery that saved her life.
Surgeons stabilized her spine by fusing it from the skull to the pelvis. Since then, her body has been completely immobilized from the head to the hips. Megan describes herself as a “human statue” because she can barely move. In total, she has undergone 37 surgeries, including the implantation of titanium rods, screws, and braces that now support her body.
Despite serious limitations, she remains strong in spirit. In a recently shared video, she is seen playing bowling and successfully knocking down all the pins — a symbolic victory for her. Her story quickly went viral on social media, garnering a wave of support and astonishment. Megan actively shares details of her life after the injury and continues to adapt to her new reality.
Earlier we wrote that AI recreated music of Alvin Lucier after his death.