A woman from Georgia was paralyzed after a visit to a chiropractor.
On June 16, recent Georgia Southern University graduate Caitlin Jensen visited a chiropractor for an “adjustment to her neck”, which led to four of her arteries being dissected according to a GoFundMe page established to offset her medical expenses.
College Graduate Leaves Chiropractor With 4 Dissected Arteries Within Neck, Family Says She Is Paralyzed
After the adjustment, Jensen reportedly “became ill” and was hospitalized. It was at the hospital tests revealed she had four dissected arteries within her neck.
“This damage led to cardiac arrest and a stroke, as well as a loss of pulse for over 10 minutes after which she was revived,” the fundraising page reads. “Once the doctors were able to stabilize Caitlin, she was rushed to surgery. Doctors were able to repair some tears and placed a stent in one artery.”
Caitlin’s mother Darlene Jensen told WSB-TV that doctors believe the young woman’s stroke occurred “as a direct result of the neck manipulation.”
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“The surgeon … that saved her life, and every other doctor that has looked at her, have all agreed that this happened as a direct result of the neck manipulation,” Darelene told the outlet, “The chiropractor called 911 and then called me and told me that she was ‘having a reaction to the treatment.'”
The outlet added that Caitlin’s family has retained legal counsel on her behalf and added how the cause of her injury has yet to be officially determined.
The name of the chiropractor that Caitlin visited on June 16 was not made immediately clear.
One month later, Caitlin remains in the neurological ICU at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Georgia, in critical condition. And while she is conscious, she is only able to respond to verbal commands by blinking her eyes and wiggling toes on her left feet, according to the GoFundMe, which also states she suffered a traumatic brain injury.
“However, the rest of her body sits in a state of paralysis due to the injury,” the GoFundMe says.
Caitlin’s brother Caleb Jensen told WJCL that he recalled speaking with his sister on the morning of June 16 before work, recalling, “You’re talking to her and then 30 minutes later, she’s in the hospital and now in the ICU,”
Caleb said that his sister is “able to open her eyes every now and then and wake up a little bit. And kind of move her hands to squeeze a little. But that’s it.”
Caitlin graduated from Georgia Southern University in May with a degree in chemistry and biology and was excited about the next season of her life. As of Thursday evening, the page has raised $64,898 of the $250,000 goal for medical bills.
A CaringBridge page has also been created in Caitlin’s name to update followers on her recovery. There, Darlene shared an update Monday, writing that doctors have decided her daughter should remain on blood thinners for the time being after her blood levels temporarily dropped over the weekend.
Darlene also shared how she hopes the spotlight on her daughter’s story “will help others avoid this type of injury,” per the CaringBridge journal entry.
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“Once they’ve gone to the medical doctor or chiropractor the likelihood is, unfortunately, a stroke will occur,” Ranicki told WJCL, adding that anything from someone tilting their head back in a hair salon or “horseplay or who knows what,” could trigger the injuries for someone with the condition.
In a recent update to Caitlin’s GoFundMe page on June 29 from Darlene reads that her daughter “has a strong hand squeeze” and gave “the tiniest of nods with her head” for the first time since the incident.
“It would be easy to miss, but I swear – I saw her nod her head in answer to me today,” she wrote.
Caitlin’s family is hoping to transport her to Shepherd Center in Atlanta when she can leave the ICU at Memorial Health.
“We are still trying everything we can to get her into Shepherd,” Darlene wrote on GoFundMe on June 29. “We’re having trouble with the insurance part of it, and we really need that part to work out.”
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