At a Glance
- 17-year-old Shakira Gorman suffered a rare spinal stroke two days before Christmas
- She initially dismissed symptoms as period pain before losing feeling in her arms and struggling to breathe
- Gorman is now paralyzed, unable to speak, and remains in critical care with an uncertain recovery timeline
- Why it matters: The case highlights how quickly a rare spinal stroke can turn life-threatening, even in healthy teenagers
A healthy English teenager is fighting for her life after what she believed was routine period pain turned out to be a spinal stroke that has left her paralyzed and unable to speak.
Shakira Gorman, 17, was at her boyfriend’s home on December 23 when she began experiencing heavy bleeding. She dismissed it as the start of her period and continued her day, according to a family account given to Southwest News Service.
“It all happened so quickly,” said Chloe, 30, Gorman’s sister-in-law. “The only symptom she had was a bit of shoulder and back pain, she thought it might be backache or her period starting.”
The situation escalated rapidly when Gorman began struggling to breathe and lost sensation in her arms and hands. Emergency responders transported her to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, where doctors immediately placed her on a ventilator.
Diagnosis and Critical Condition
After a day of testing and declining health, medical staff determined Gorman had suffered a spinal stroke. These events account for fewer than 1% of all strokes, occurring when blood flow to the spinal cord becomes blocked.
Typical warning signs include sudden, intense neck or back pain, muscle weakness, and in severe instances, paralysis. Gorman’s case proved extreme-she entered the hospital’s ICU paralyzed and unable to speak.
Her family detailed the extent of her condition on a GoFundMe page: “She is in the high dependency critical care unit and requires breathing tubes and lots of other life saving measures. She is unable to speak and lip reading is required but due to medical equipment this can also be difficult. She has lost movement in both arms and is going to require therapy to retrain her muscles.”
Doctors started blood-thinning medication and continue round-the-clock monitoring.
Uncertain Recovery Path
Gorman’s relatives remain in shock over the abrupt change in her health status.
“We don’t know what the future holds. At the moment we’re taking each day as it comes,” Chelsea, 29, her older sister, told the outlet. “Each day is different – and we are taking one step at a time.”
She added: “My parents are feeling empty, devastated and they’re still in shock – it’s so unexpected. At the moment the hospital can’t say what recovery is going to look like.”
With no clear prognosis, Gorman now faces a transfer to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, renowned for spinal injury specialization. An update posted January 10 placed her on the waiting list for the move.
“We are all hopeful for her recovery❤️” the family wrote, describing the event as an “unexpected tragedy.”
Key Takeaways
- Spinal strokes are extremely rare and can mimic common ailments like back pain or menstrual cramps
- Gorman’s case shows how quickly symptoms can escalate from mild discomfort to life-threatening paralysis
- Recovery timelines for spinal strokes vary widely, and doctors have not provided a specific outlook for Gorman
- Community support through GoFundMe aims to offset mounting medical costs while the family focuses on her care
