A girl can die because of her smile

A young teacher who was warned by a rare neurological disorder could die if she laughed because it could push her brain out of the skull.

Carolyn Gibbons, who lives in Hythe, Hampshire (England), 23, suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Chiari deformity (meaning the lower part of the brain is too large).

Due to this disease, her eyesight was reduced. She suffered from stuttering, paralyzed migraine and any sudden movement also caused her pain.

Carolyn Gibbons

Carolyn did not know she had the disease until she fainted and became ill after returning home from the high school where she worked at the end of March last year. A few days earlier, she had a headache, but she thought it would be fine to take medicine.

However, after taking a CT scan at a Southampton clinic, she was diagnosed with Chiari deformities 1. She was then transferred to a neurological center for two weeks to follow up.

"At first, I did not think that the disease could get so bad and I thought the drugs could control it. But the symptoms of the disease became worse and worse, I realized. My brain is too big for the skull, I can't do anything normal people do, any twitching movement hurts me terribly and I can't even laugh my brain out of the skull, I can't even laugh too loudly, the fact that I laughed so loudly could increase the risk of sudden death, " Carolyn said.

She was forced to give up her job after her illness symptoms worsened.

After two cancellations, last, on July 29, Carolyn conducted an operation to remove part of the spine and part of the skull (a square about 2.5cm wide) to make room for the set. His oversized brain.

Carolyn shows the scars when doctors proceed
Cut out a square on her skull.

Currently, she is currently in a state of constant insomnia. At times, she did not sleep for 60 hours.

"I am living in pain. My life may end anytime. But I always hope I will recover. Nobody really can understand this disease. I feel very helpless. I lost a lot, even once a woman on the street shouted at me just because she thought I was drunk during the day, I just hope the surgery will help me solve it. I can laugh once and not be dangerous to my life , "said Carolyn.

Marysia Pudlo-Debef, who runs a website of Chiari Arnold deformities experts, said: 'There are 1/1000 people affected by the disease, although many people will never suffer from any symptoms and every year 6 people die because of it ".

"This is an unpleasant disorder that makes a person's life a nightmare. Now, it has no cure and this is why studying so much about it is extremely necessary. set, " she added.