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13th Apr 2025

Woman has skull reattached after being ‘decapitated’ in freak football injury

Sean Crosbie

It took doctors 37 surgeries to reattach her skull.

A woman has miraculously had her skull reattached to her spine after she was ‘decapitated’ while playing football.

Megan King damaged her spine and tore her shoulder muscle after falling while playing football in 2005.

Her condition declined despite several surgeries and her joints began to weaken as her muscles tore apart.

Ten years after the injury she was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehler ‘s-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).

hEDS is a rare condition that blocks the formation of collagen, which helps bones stay together.

Despite being fitted with a halo brace drilled directly into her skull, her condition worsened as her skull became internally detached from her spine.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Megan said: “I flew my chair back to keep gravity from decapitating me.

“My neurosurgeon had to hold my skull in place with his hands. I couldn’t stand. My right side was shaking uncontrollably.”

After 37 surgeries doctors managed to fuse her spine and skull back together, saving her life.

She now describes herself as “literally a human statue”, saying she is unable to move her spine at all.

Megan added: “But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped living.

“I’m grateful for God, my body, my doctors, my family, my friends, my online community & more. I’m proud of all the hard work I put in to get to this point. God is so good.”

Topics:

Football