It sounds almost like science fiction: a severe injury in a car accident knocked a woman's head off her spine but she survived. Doctors called it an "internal" decapitation. But, with some specialized surgery, the woman is now getting back to a more normal life.
Judy Kerns is a medical miracle. The car accident left her without any support for her head.
"My neck. I couldn't get my neck back up," she said. "And my whole body would just freeze up in pain."
She couldn't lift her head to eat and dropped to 98 pounds. She also developed sores under her neck that became infected. Doctor after doctor told Kerns they didn't know how to fix her head.
"I was scared. I guess I was in so much pain. I just wanted it all over."
Then she met Vanderbilt University surgeon Dr. Matthew McGirt, who said he'd try a risky but potentially lifesaving procedure.
"We knew without surgery, she would likely die," said McGirt.
For two weeks doctors worked to get Kerns healthy again.
"The real trick was doing it without paralyzing her," said McGirt.
Doctors created a titanium cage to replace the front of Kerns' spine. They also ran three long rods down the back of her neck to hold her head up. The entire surgery took 30 hours.
After three days, Kerns was walking! Now, she can't move her head or neck.
"I turn like this all the time," she said.
Still, she's able to eat, walk outside and most importantly play with her grandkids.
"They stuck by me through it all," said Kerns.
She's a proud grandmother who now holds her head high without any pain.
Kerns has to be extremely careful not to hit the metal pieces in her neck. Just one bad fall could paralyze or even kill her. She is not able to run, jump, or lift over five pounds.
