Megan King, a resident of Illinois, has miraculously survived a life-threatening condition known as internal decapitation, or atlanto-occipital dislocation. This rare condition, which involved the disconnection of her skull from her spine, was corrected through a series of complex surgeries. The root of King’s ordeal can be traced back to when she was 16 years old and suffered injuries to her right ankle and spine during a soccer game in gym class. The fall also caused severe muscle tears in both her shoulder blades.
Over time, King’s condition deteriorated, leading to a total of 22 surgeries. She was later diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome (hEDS), a genetic disorder that disrupts the body’s collagen production, resulting in joint instability. A year following her diagnosis, King’s neck dislocated, necessitating the use of a restrictive “halo brace” with screws inserted directly into her skull to limit movement.
During the removal of the brace, a terrifying incident occurred. King’s skull detached from her spine, resulting in a near-fatal internal decapitation. “I had to lean my chair back to prevent gravity from decapitating me. My neurosurgeon had to physically hold my skull in place. I couldn’t stand, and my right side was shaking uncontrollably,” King recalled. She was immediately rushed into surgery, where doctors successfully reattached her skull to her spine.
Following the surgery, King woke up unable to move her head, describing the experience as a “horror show.” Despite the odds, she survived the ordeal, which typically has a 90% fatality rate due to the potential for nerve signal damage between the brain and body, leading to paralysis around vital organs.
Since her accident, King has undergone a total of 37 surgeries, leaving her body fused from her skull to her pelvis, rendering her head immobile. “I’m literally a human statue. My spine doesn’t move at all. But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped living,” she said.
Internal decapitations are more common in children involved in traumatic accidents due to their underdeveloped bones. However, in King’s case, her fall combined with hEDS led to the injury. Despite this, internal decapitations remain extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of all cervical injuries.
Despite her physical limitations, King is gradually returning to her everyday activities and hobbies, including bowling. “I bowled a strike — on my very first try. My friends screamed and clapped and cheered like wild. They weren’t just celebrating the strike. They were celebrating everything I’ve survived,” she said.